Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

Febuary 22, 2026

First Sunday of Lent

Matthew 4:1-11

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert

to be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for forty days and forty nights,

and afterwards he was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to him,

“If you are the Son of God,

command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

He said in reply,

“It is written:

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth

from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city,

and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,

and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

For it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you

and with their hands they will support you,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Jesus answered him,

“Again it is written,

You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Then 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.”

At this, Jesus said to him,

“Get away, Satan!

It is written:

The Lord, your God, shall you worship

and him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left him and, behold,

angels came and ministered to him.

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The Lessons of Temptation

~Rev. Jordan Kelly, O.P.

Chaplain to the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters at the Convent of Divine Love + Philadelphia, Pa.

Every temptation has a common root and a common goal. The root: to be attracted to something that seems pleasing. The goal: will we choose our identity, or will we embrace the double-speaking of the tempter? Jesus’ journey is rich in Old Testament references. His journey into the desert is an illusion to Moses in the Book of Exodus. His responses to the devil reflect how Jesus is the fulfillment of all that has come before. When Jesus says, “it is written you shall not tempt the Lord your God,” the Lectionary is using the Septuagint translation which does translate “word”. However, the Hebrew translation of the same text is not “word”, but rather “everything”. An interesting nuance. When Jesus replies “it is also written…” He is referencing Exodus 16 and the grumbling of the people against God. Finally, when Jesus says “do not put the Lord your God to test “, He recalls Deuteronomy 6 in which the law is given in order that people may live and be happy. This response not to test God because God is love and what He does is perfect and for the benefit of His people. Jesus reveals that He is the Word of God, the Son of the Father.

Jesus is led into the desert to be tested and to proclaim who and whose He is: Jesus is the Son of God the Father, the conqueror of sin and death, and nothing nor anyone can lead Him away from this truth. He goes to the desert to show us that we will be tempted, and HOW we can respond.

Triumph Over Temptation

~Jeffrey Faneck

Saint Matthias Catholic Church + Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

“Lead us not into temptation” - we recite that line with every Our Father. In doing so, we acknowledge our own human weaknesses as well as our reliance on God for protection. The desert depicted in this weekend’s Gospel represents the intimidating and discouraging parts of our own lives. At times we may be hesitant and unsure, we may not be able to see the presence of God, and we may feel lonely and isolated. Those moments are when the temptation to sin may be the greatest.

Jesus Himself taught that prayer, and He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted three times. Being tempted is not a sin, but giving into that temptation is where our souls become at risk. Each time Jesus was tempted, He overcame the temptation with the Scriptures as his defense. Our “toolbox” may not have verses of Scripture readily retrievable the way Jesus’ was, but we have other tools to fight our battles.The more we fill our thoughts with God, the less room there is for the enemy to intrude. We can pray for strength and protection and wisdom. Wisdom can lead to help avoiding particular situations that may cause the most trouble. Each of us knows ourselves better than other people, but not as well as God knows us. 

Lent can be a fresh start for many of us. Whether we choose to give something up or take something on, God is with us. Good overcame evil in the desert, and good will overcome evil in our own lives. As we work towards the Lord’s resurrection at Easter, may we all spend this Lent cleaning off the dust in our spiritual toolboxes, so that our weapons are organized, accessible, and ready. Coming to Mass each week is a great way to remember to do that.  

Then when it comes to “lead us not into temptation” let’s remember the way Jesus handled temptation and strive to emulate Him, but in our own way!