The picture opposite shows the kind of desert where Jesus spent forty days. It is a stark, barren region showing little sign of life. Forty is a biblical number meaning a long period of time. The children of Israel spent forty years wandering in the desert before they reached the promised land. John the Baptist spent time there, as did the desert fathers and mothers, who wanted solitude to come closer to God in a place with little distraction.
Jesus, like every other human being, had a shadow, the repressed, undesirable traits which he needed to face. The Jews expected the Messiah to be a great king like David, who would rid them of Roman rule and establish their Kingdom again in all its glory. They constantly demanded signs from Jesus to prove his authority. Jesus, however, knew that his real power lay in his Passion and Death. He refused the temptation to perform circus tricks or to grab the worldly power that Satan offered.
Lent means "spring". The bright yellow daffodil is often called the Lenten Lily. Perhaps this Lent, with the world in such chaos, we would do well to reflect on its appearance as a sign of hope that good will ultimately triumph.