1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle A (2026)

Having just been baptized, what followed, as we heard today, is Jesus went to the desert for forty-days of spiritual training, to prepare and strengthen himself, so that he could begin to wage war against Satan’s stronghold over the earth.

At the end of this forty-day training, as he had become physically weakened and hungry, Satan came to do battle against Jesus. His tactic was to tempt Jesus in his physical weakness, and he did so in three ways. First, to tempt Jesus to use his powers to comfort himself. The second was to tempt Jesus to test God, to see if He is trustworthy and true.

But then came the third temptation: “…the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, ‘All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.’”

This was probably the most difficult of the three temptations, even if it seems ridiculous to think Jesus would ever consider bowing down to the devil and worshiping him.

But what he was saying to Jesus was something like this: You came to save your beloved children from hell. But understand, I will have a right to them if they choose me over you and I will forever hold them captive. Just bow your knee and worship me instead of your Father, even just for a second, and I’ll give you what you came to this world to win. Out of love and compassion for all these souls, just commit this one sin.^[1]

Of course, Jesus wanted to save everyone. He would later demonstrate this in how much he was willing to suffer for that very purpose. But Jesus also knew the first Commandment: “You shall not have other gods beside me…you shall not bow down before them or serve them” (Ex 20: 3, 5). This Commandment, for Jesus, was an absolute.

As Christian people, we understand that we are only pilgrims in this life, and that through Jesus’ Resurrection, we were made for another life. Yet even with this understanding, consider the people you love the most. Ask yourself: Would you choose Satan’s will to free them from harm in this life?

While we may never be put in a position to have to choose between those exact two things, that fundamental principle will continue to present itself to us. The devil will continue to put us in a position, tempting us to say no to God and yes to something or someone else.

Ask yourself: Is there a command of God that at some point in your life you have stopped believing or at least speaking outwardly about it? What led to that change? You might say it’s because you are better informed than you were in the past. But might it instead be associated with a temptation? Temptation to just fit in with everyone else…temptation to not create problems or inconveniences for myself…

Our temptations tend to be rooted in fear: fear that God isn’t wise enough, God isn’t caring enough, God isn’t enough. For the temptations we continue to face, let us at least acknowledge a desire to trust in God’s enduring and absolute truth—even when it comes with uncertainties, causes for fear, and yes, even with hardship and suffering.

Let us worship and serve God alone, trusting that He will lead us through the uncertainties and hardship to something that endures and satisfies. And let us strengthen each other in this.

As followers and imitators of Jesus, consider this: When you open your mouth to receive him in Holy Communion, you are also opening your soul. In this you are declaring: “You are my God, my Lord, my savior, my one absolute. Your will be done in every part of my life.” ^[2]

^[1] Kreeft, Peter. Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) (Food for the Soul Series Book 1). Kindle Edition.

^[2] Ibid.