From the Gospel according to 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.

Turn Away Temptation

We have just begun Lent, and the Gospel presents to us how Jesus is tempted by the devil.

Christ, of course, does not fall into those temptations — but what about us? We so often fall into the enemy’s game. We quickly ask God to work miracles, to turn stones into bread, or to change my spouse — who, in my eyes, is not the one I deserve. Yet He tells us to live by His Word, which is alive and speaks to us each day, teaching us to love our spouse precisely when they seem least deserving of it.

How many times, in the face of suffering or trials, do we ask Him to take them away — knowing that He can? And yet He tells us that He knows better than we do what we need; that we must not put God to the test. We ask God to satisfy our desires and passions; we insist that we have a right to be happy — even at the expense of our spouse’s happiness, our children’s, or those around us. And He reminds us not to fix our gaze on the world and its passing treasures. We are called to holiness in the vocation He has entrusted to us — and that call is infinite.

Let us live this Lent by giving ourselves to God through our spouse, accompanying Christ in the desert and preparing our hearts to walk with Him in His Passion.

Brought into Married Life:

Samuel: Hello, Beatrice! Look — at work they’ve given me a stay at the Parador in the Pyrenees for the whole of Holy Week! It’s the finest Parador in Spain! And do you know what the boss said? That I’m getting it because I’m the best in the office.

Beatrice: But… we had planned to spend Holy Week together with the children, truly living it, accompanying the Lord…

Samuel: Yes, but it’s the best Parador in Spain. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have an amazing time in the mountains.

Beatrice: But there aren’t even any nearby villages — it’s completely surrounded by nature. And it’s Holy Week…

Samuel: Oh. I can see you’re not excited. What a disappointment.

(After their spousal prayer, having placed everything in the Lord’s presence.)

Samuel: You’re right. I was being blinded by the luxury, by feeling important. I couldn’t see that it was a temptation — a trap to draw us away from the Lord.

Beatrice: Thank You, Lord, for this husband who is always willing to follow You and to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Mother,

Remain always at our side, that we may not fall into temptation. Praised be the Lord.