Let us follow Jesus into the desert.  

As Christ went without food for forty days let us consider what we could do without as well.  Oh, not for the purpose of seeing how strong we are, quite the opposite…to reveal our weakness and need for God.  

An ancient rabbi, Rabbi Eliezer, once told his students, "Repent one day before you death."  Surprised at his statement they responded, "No one knows when they are going to die."  Eliezer replied, "Then all the more reason that we should repent today!"

On this Ash Wednesday, in light of our mortality and that from the ground we come and the ground we will return…let us follow Jesus into the desert.