The spiritual battle begins! Lent gives us that glorious opportunity to grow in holiness, as we join Jesus in the coldness of the desert for the next 40 days. This is probably my favorite liturgical season, even more than Easter and Christmas. Like our Lord, we confront the Devil in Lent and the false claimants to our hearts. God simply wants our love; he will not settle for second place.

The only job of the Devil is to make us forget this. He wants to distract us from practicing our faith to the full. He wants our hearts to fall in love with the other glittery things in the world. St. John, the Beloved Disciple, wrote about this cunning ploy in his letter. He writes: 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (Cf. 1 John 15-16)

Each Lent we look at the devil straight in the face and yell, "NO! You are a liar! My heart is created for God and he alone, will I serve."