Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you."
(Isaiah 49)

How many of us spend our lives looking for human security and happiness in places it can never be found fully: physical pleasures, worldly success, even human relationships.

But our hearts are made by God to find ultimate security and happiness only in God: Our hearts are restless, says Augustine, until they rest in Thee.

During his forty days in the desert Jesus faced Satan's temptations luring him away from doing his Father's will by the promises of worldly success and glory.

In Lent we follow Jesus to the desert. We increase our periods of personal prayer and allow the Lord to unmask Satan's temptations.  We pray for conversion from  habitual attitudes that seek  security and happiness primarily from the things of this world to  a consciousness that seeks security and happiness from trusting in God and doing God's will. We pray for the grace to handle our temptations as Jesus handled his.

How different our lives would be if  we took to heart this passage of Isaiah:  God holds us as lovingly and tenderly as a mother holds the child of her womb.  What greater security and happiness can we humans have?