The readings today teach us how to have a good relationship with Jesus. There are three key places we need to search out: the desert, prayer and the community.

As Christians we have a natural desire to be alone with God. This desire does not come from us. It is a call by God to be alone with Him.

The desert is a metaphor for this calling. It has come to symbolize not only our physical need to be still and quiet but also for our souls as well. We cannot hear the voice of Jesus without first listening without noise or movement for His Word.

Our second natural desire is to have a conversation with God. Not a one sided conversation where we list all our wishes and wants. We desire a true give and take with God. This builds up our confidence and trust. God wants to listen to us as well and return His desire to speak with us.

Our third desire as Christians is to live in community, to be with fellow disciples of the Lord who are engaged in the same mission as we are.

This is why parishes are so important for Christians. They enable us to be supported and encouraged to take the small steps necessary to build up a good spiritual and physical relationship with Christ and to worship God as He wants to be worshipped, not by individuals, but by the community; by the parish, here on Sunday, the day God chose to be worshipped.

So, in order to have a good relationship with Jesus, we need to seek out and find these three key places the desert, prayer and the community. Here we can, look God in the face and sing with David with great confidence and love, “O God, you are my God whom I seek…You are my help and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.”