On this First Sunday of Lent, the Church leads us into the desert with Jesus (Mt 4:1–11). This favorable Season that we began on Ash Wednesday is not an invitation to sad isolation, but to spiritual combat. Jesus, as the “New Adam,” faces the tempter to show us that our divine filiation is tested in listening to the Word and in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
To help you pray with this Gospel, we present below the five points based on our sharing in the podcast (https://youtu.be/T7tccdH5XjI), which you may watch to better meditate and pray, selecting the subtitles in your language.
- The Spirit led Jesus…
Unlike what we might imagine, Jesus did not go into the desert by merely human will. He was led by the Spirit (cf. Mt 4:1). It is the same Spirit who had descended upon Him at His Baptism and of whom He was already full. The desert here is not only a geographical place, but the space of intimacy and testing. Jesus goes there “to be tempted,” showing that temptation is part of the disciple’s path, but that we are never alone: we are moved by God’s strength to face the enemy and, with Jesus, to overcome him.
- Forty days and forty nights
The number forty is filled with biblical symbolism: it recalls Israel’s forty years in the desert and the forty days of Moses and Elijah on the mountain. Jesus undergoes this period of fasting and prayer to prepare for His public mission. At the end of that time, the text says that He “was hungry” (Mt 4:2). This hunger reveals Jesus’ humanity and His total solidarity with our weakness. It is at this moment of physical vulnerability that the tempter approaches, trying to divert the Son from His trust in the Father.
- “Man shall not live by bread alone” (and Poverty)
The devil attacks the basic need of hunger, proposing that Jesus use His power for His own benefit (“command that these stones become bread”). It is the temptation of self-sufficiency and materialism. Jesus conquers through the evangelical counsel of poverty, responding with Scripture: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (cf. Mt 4:4). He teaches us that “having” and material satisfaction do not fill the heart; our greatest need is communion with the Father’s will.
- “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (and Obedience)
When taken to the highest point of the Temple, Jesus is tempted to perform a “show of faith,” forcing God’s protection, and the devil even quotes Psalm 90(91). It is the temptation of pride and spectacle. Jesus responds with the evangelical counsel of obedience and respect for God’s sovereignty: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (cf. Mt 4:7). He shows us that true trust does not demand miracles out of caprice nor manipulate the relationship with God, but accepts the Father’s path in simplicity.
- “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve.” (and Chastity)
The tempter offers the power and glory of the world in exchange for idolatry. It is the temptation to place any reality (success, money, pleasure) in God’s place. Jesus ends the combat with the evangelical counsel of chastity, here understood as the total and exclusive gift of the heart to the Lord: “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve” (cf. Mt 4:10). By commanding, “Away with you, Satan!”, Jesus reaffirms that the human heart finds its freedom only when it belongs solely to God.
Conclusion: Overcoming Temptations with the Word of God
The central point of Jesus’ victory on every front is His use of the Word of God. He does not dialogue with the tempter. He responds with “It is written…”. In the desert, the Word reveals itself as the effective weapon against the suggestions of the Evil One. This Lenten Season is an opportunity for us to nourish ourselves more deeply with Scripture, for it is through it that we discern the snares of temptations and find the strength to overcome them, living authentically the practices of fasting, prayer, and charity.
Steps of Lectio Divina
- Reading (lectio):
Slowly read Matthew 4:1–11. Observe the three proposals of the tempter and how each of them is answered by Jesus with a quotation from the Word of God. - Meditation (meditatio):
In which areas of my life am I tempted to place “pleasure,” “possession,” “power,” or “being seen” before the will of God? Have I turned to the Word of God to face my daily struggles? - Prayer (oratio):
Pray, for example, like this: “Lord Jesus, You who overcame the tempter in the desert, grant me Your Spirit so that I too may know how to discern and overcome evil in my life. Strengthen my will and give me hunger for Your Word…” (continue your prayer as the Spirit inspires you). - Contemplation (contemplatio):
Adore Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son, Poor, Chaste, and Obedient. Contemplate the Lord who, even in hunger and trial, remains faithful to the Father, and ask for the grace of unshakable trust in Divine Providence. - Action (actio):
In this first week of Lent, choose one of the temptations that most afflicts you and practice a concrete act of renunciation to reaffirm God’s sovereignty over your life. Choose or reaffirm your Lenten resolutions.
Until next week!
Shalom!
(select subtitles in your language)
