First Lutheran Church

Introduction

Today's gospel tells of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. His forty-day fast becomes the basis of Lenten pilgrimage. In the early church Lent was a time of intense preparation for those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. This catechetical focus on the meaning of faith is at the heart of our Lenten journey to the baptismal waters of Easter. Hungry for God’s mercy, we receive the bread of life to nourish us for the days ahead. THE GREAT LITANY has its origins in the Fifth Century and was used by Lutherans starting in the 16th century.