Living This Week’s Gospel: 

Matthew 4:1–11

Imagine Jesus where we meet him in this Sunday’s Gospel: after 40 days of fasting in the desert. How hungry and thirsty Jesus must have been during this time! And this is exactly why the devil chooses this time to tempt him. Are we familiar with this scenario? Examine those times you’ve felt tempted; often, it’s those times when we are so desperately hungry to achieve or acquire the things of this world that we forget about God.

Be it a new job, a larger house or the latest gadget, Jesus reminds us that our own desires for “bread alone” are not what we are to live by. Instead of following our own agenda, we must live with openness to God’s will and a faithful trust in him. This week, take time to listen to “every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4.)

In your prayer, ask Jesus to show you the places where you are tempted to follow your own agenda instead of God’s plan for you. Ask for the grace to follow God’s will in these places. Let this be the work of your Lenten fast.