Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

On this first Sunday of Lent, the Church leads us into the desert with Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11, the Spirit drives Him into the wilderness, where He fasts for forty days and is tempted by the devil. Before He begins His public ministry, Jesus enters into combat.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

In today's Gospel, Jesus says something striking: "I have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it." He is speaking to disciples - then and now - who might be tempted to reduce faith to rules, minimums, and appearances.

Discipleship, however, is not about doing just enough to avoid sin. It is about allowing the law of God to reach the heart. It is to strive for greatness with humility, to holiness with perseverance.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us plainly who a disciple is: "You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world." He doesn't say you should become salt and light - He says you are. Discipleship is not a future project; it is a present identity.

Salt only matters when it disappears into the food. Light only helps when it shines for others. A disciple, then, is not called to draw attention to himself, but to give flavor to the world and clarity in the darkness - often quietly, humbly, and faithfully.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Today, in the Gospel, Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes - the heart of His teaching and the portrait of a true disciple. He does not describe a life of power or comfort, but a life transformed by humility, mercy, and hunger for righteousness. The disciple of Jesus is not shaped by the values of the world, but by the heart of Christ.