The Desert and the Firehouse: Lessons from the Training Ground

The following was a homily that Fr. Wainio preached on the First Sunday of Lent (February 22nd, 2026) St. Patrick and The University Parish Newman Center, Kent Ohio.

Each year on the First Sunday of Lent, we are lead into the desert with Jesus.

Christ in the Wilderness - Ivan Kramskoy

The Gospel tells us that after his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days and was tempted by the devil. It is striking that the Spirit leads him there. The desert is not an accident. It is not a mistake. It is part of God’s plan. The desert is where distractions fall away, where illusions fade, where truth becomes clear.

And what happens there? Jesus faces temptation—real temptation. Hunger. Pride. Power. The enemy tries to distort what it means for Jesus to be the Son of God. “If you are the Son of God…” he says. Notice that phrase. The devil is not just tempting Jesus to do things; he is tempting him to doubt who he is.

That is how temptation works in our lives too. It doesn’t begin with dramatic evil. It begins with subtle lies: You are not loved. You are not enough. God is not really with you. You should take control yourself. Temptation always tries to rewrite our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God.

I was thinking about this Gospel in light of our firefighters, who I have the great pleasure of working with in our local community. When they run into a burning building, they do not go in casually. They are prepared. They train.

Our fire fighters are disciplined in body and mind. They wear protective gear. They study fire behavior. Why? Because fire is powerful and dangerous, and if you walk into it unprepared, you will be overcome.

This past week I had an experience most people never get to have. Last Saturday morning I spent time with the fire department here in Kent. That in itself isn’t unusual, since serving as their chaplain often brings me to the station—but this Saturday was different.

I had the privilege of participating in some of the training our firefighters regularly undergo to prepare for real emergencies. After suiting up in full turnout gear, complete with air pack and mask, they let me experience firsthand what it’s like to search a room for someone who might be trapped inside a burning house or building.

Crawling through the makeshift room, feeling my way along as I searched for victims—represented in training by dummies—while carrying an extra 50 to 60 pounds of gear was intense. And that was without any smoke, heat, or flames.

I’ve shared plenty of meals with our firefighters, talked with them about their work, and even ridden along on emergency calls. But stepping into their training environment gave me an entirely new appreciation for what they do and how seriously they prepare for the real thing.

The spiritual life is no different. Lent is our training season.

The desert is our training ground. The temptations we face are real fires—fires of anger, lust, pride, greed, despair. And like firefighters, we do not face them recklessly; we prepare for them.

Think about a firefighter’s discipline. They don’t wait until the alarm sounds to start getting in shape. They train and work out every day so that when the moment comes, their body already knows what to do.

In the same way, Jesus doesn’t defeat temptation by improvising. He responds with the Word of God. Three times the devil tempts Him, and three times Jesus answers with Scripture. The Word is already within him. It is his strength, his oxygen, his protection.

Lent invites us to do the same: to train, to prepare, to put on our spiritual gear. Prayer is our oxygen tank. Fasting is our endurance training. Almsgiving is our rescue line that keeps us connected to others instead of trapped in ourselves.

There’s another thing about firefighters: they don’t run from fire; they run toward it—because they are there to save lives. Jesus enters the desert not just for himself, but for us. Jesus faces temptation and defeats it so that we would know temptation does not have the final word. He goes into the fire first, so that when we face it, we are not alone.

And notice how the Gospel ends: after the devil leaves Jesus, angels come and minister to him. God never abandons his faithful ones. The battle is real, but so is the help of heaven.

So today the Church does not simply say, “It’s Lent—try harder.” She says, “It’s Lent—enter the desert with Christ. Train with him. Stand with him. Learn from him.” Because the goal of Lent is not just self-improvement. The goal is transformation. The goal is to come out of the desert stronger, freer, clearer about who we are: beloved children of God.

If firefighters prepare so seriously to face a temporary fire, how much more should we prepare to face the spiritual fires that threaten eternal things?

This week, ask yourself:

Where is my desert?

What temptation do I need to face honestly?

What spiritual discipline is God inviting me to strengthen?

Because the same Lord who stood firm in the wilderness stands with you now. And if we stay close to him—through prayer, sacrifice, and trust—no temptation, no flame, no trial can overcome us.

Blessed Lent my friends,

Peace,