Questions for reflection

As you slowly read this Gospel passage, allow its words to soak into your mind. You may want to light a candle to help you ponder the passage, reflect on the image above or on the words of Pope Francis below. You may even want to imagine you are with Jesus in the wilderness feeling his loneliness and hunger. Perhaps you may want to reflect on the times you have been tempted in the same way Jesus was tempted.

1. What is this passage saying to you?

2. What word(s), sentence or phrase in this Gospel passage most caught your attention; most touched your heart; most challenged you; most comforted you? Is there anything in this passage that you found uncomfortable or startled by the three temptations of Jesus i.e. hunger, power and pride?

3. ‘‘Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. Where is the Holy Spirit leading you during this time of Lent? What temptations are you faced with on your faith journey?

4. ‘The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ Have you ever been tempted to put your own personal needs before the needs of others?

5. ‘‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ When have you wanted to be influential rather than serving others? How, during this Lenten Season can you grow in humility and seek to serve others?

6. ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you” Have you ever put God to the test by wanting divine intervention for something unreasonable? Do you sometimes want to attract attention so that you can be popular?

Pope Francis tells us:

There are three paths that will lead us to ruin.

The first, the path of greed for possession. The second temptation: the path of human vainglory. The devil says: “If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours” (v. 7). And then the third temptation: exploiting God to one’s own advantage.

These are the paths that are set before us, with the illusion that in this way one can obtain success and happiness. But in reality, they are completely extraneous to God’s mode of action; rather, in fact they distance us from God, because they are the works of Satan. Jesus, personally facing these trials, overcomes temptation three times in order to fully adhere to the Father’s plan. And he reveals the remedies to us: interior life, faith in God, the certainty of his love — the certainty that God loves us, that he is Father, and with this certainty we will overcome every temptation.

But there is one thing to which I would like to draw your attention, something interesting. In responding to the tempter, Jesus does not enter a discussion, but responds to the three challenges with only the Word of God. This teaches us that one does not dialogue with the devil; one must not discuss, one only responds to him with the Word of God.

Therefore, let us benefit from Lent as a privileged time to purify ourselves, to feel God’s comforting presence in our life.

We shall now spend 10 minutes reflecting on this scripture passage by reading, repeating, responding and resting as described above. We will then share what we thought, felt etc. only if you are comfortable to do so.