Lent is an imitation of Jesus in His fasting forty days in the desert and overcoming the temptations from Satan. Satan tempted Jesus to doubt that He was the beloved Son of God the Father (see Mt 3:17; 4:3, 6). If Satan can cause us to doubt our Father’s love for us, then he can manipulate us through bribery or intimidation. If we doubt our Father’s love, then Satan can seduce us to sin and take away our freedom, for “everyone who lives in sin is the slave of sin” (Jn 8:34).

When Jesus proclaimed to the Jews that He would free them, they connected freedom with fatherhood. They said they were already free because Abraham and God were their fathers (Jn 8:39, 41). Jesus agreed with the Jews that freedom was based on being begotten of a free father. (We are fathered into freedom.) However, Jesus denied that the Jews had practically accepted Abraham as their father. We should act like our fathers, and they didn’t act like Abraham (Jn 8:39-40). Jesus also denied that the Jews had practically accepted God as their Father; if they had, the Jews would have loved Jesus as the Father loved Him (Jn 8:42).

Freedom is a matter of fatherhood — not only of factual fatherhood, but practical fatherhood.

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio June 15, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.