After Jesus’ desert experience, “suddenly angels came and waited on him,” today’s gospel tells us. Jesus’ desert experience followed his baptism by John in the Jordan River, where “just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said ‘this is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Mt.3:16-17) Can you picture that scene? Imagine for a moment how stunned you would have been in that situation. I suspect the human Jesus was just as awed by that spiritual vision as we would have been in his place.

What did it mean? Was this a call from God? Questions of all kinds must have been tumbling over and over in his mind and heart. He retreated to the wilderness to be alone, to seek answers to his questions, for soul-searching—a lengthy desert experience of coming to grips with the way of God.

From time to time, we, each and all, may experience Divine Love calling our name, saying, “You are my precious child, and I love you.” We’re not likely to be able to remain in that grace-filled space for very long before a desert experience comes to face us as well—a dry, bleak, desolate, dreary time full of our own tumbling questions and soul searching. While it’s easy to recognize the former experience as grace-filled, the latter provides it’s own abundance of grace to sustain us as we come to know God in a deeper, more intimate way. Jesus experienced it as angels coming and waiting on him. We might think of it in that same way once our eyes and hearts are open to receive what God is providing for us.