Let us pray and prepare ourselves

Mk 1, 12-15

Author: Cecília Pellegrini

Once a lion named Prince Leonildo received an order from his father, the great King Leonildo I to go to the desert and stay in prayer, to strengthen his inner spirit.

The prince, always very calm and obedient leaves immediately.

Upon arriving in the arid desert, he looks at the sky, opens his arms, kneels and pray.

Sneakily comes a snake and seeing the prince so concentrated, thinks: -

"Well, well, well, who do I find here? It's Prince Leonildo!”

She begins to hiss to catch the lion's attention, but he continues in prayer. Then she hisses even louder and still, nothing makes the lion stop praying to look at her.

The snake gets very angry and starts talking to herself: - “But this Leonildo Prince should be just like his father, King Leonildo I, who only lives to pray, love and help. But leave it to me... With the father, who is the all-powerful, I never got nothing, but with that cub, it will be different...”

With a very seductive voice, she addressed the lion: "But what an honor to receive here in the desert Prince Leonildo, son of the great King Leonildo I!”

The prince stands up and says, "I knew you would come."

The snake becomes more aggressive and replies: - “But of course I would! Here is the wilderness where I have made my abode, with all the dryness, and the thorns. In addition, know that here you will be without water, without food... Will you stay here?”

Calmly the prince explains how long his stay in the desert will last: - “Yes, my Father sent me here and I will stay 40 days in prayer!”

The snake is very happy: - “40 days? Will you stay in prayer?”

Then he gives a tremendous laugh and asks, "What's this for?"

As a true Lord, Leonildo explains: "I will be here, isolated, in prayer to strengthen my spirit, for I will still face much pain and suffering..."

The dreadful snake did not understand what pain or suffering the lion was referring to, its purpose was to put the son against his father; that is, instead of doing goodness, to stay in the desert with him, only doing bad things.

Then he says, "But I can make you get rid of all this! Here, no pain or suffering, on the contrary, I will make you a powerful King, very powerful...”

The prince does not yield and says quietly: - “I am faithful and obedient to my father Leonildo I.”

The snake rattles: "So why you will be content to be a second Leonildo, when you can be the first?"

Realizing that rattling like this could frighten the lion away, she speaks again seductively: "But Little Leonildo, think well... with me, you can have the world at your feet..."

Leonildo explains his desire in life: - “I just want to follow in the footsteps of my father and wish that people follow me on the path that leads to Him.”

The snake curls up on the floor with such laughter: "How much rubbish," she says.

Immediately Leonildo prays again.

The very angry snake thinks: "This prince is resistant... It is not easy to deceive him. He only thinks of following his Father. However, I will have 40 days to try it...”

Therefore, day after day, she tried to seduce Leonildo with the riches of this world. Offers delicious food and drinks, jewelry, money, power.

Moreover, there were forty days, full of temptation, and the prince fought with much prayer.

At last, the snake gave up because the prince did not yield, with his spirit strengthened, his fate will be fulfilled.

When the 40 days were over, Leonildo left the desert and, with the strength of a true lion, he returned to fulfill his mission.

With him, we learn that prayer leaves us with a heart full of love, willing to help, forgive, dialogue, respect, understand and welcome our brothers and sisters.

He invites us to pray and be prepared!