1^st Sunday of Lent (A); February 22, 2026

Gn 2:7-9, 3:1-7.  Ps 51.  Rom 5:12-19.  Mt 4:1-11

Deacon Jim McFadden

         Each year,  the Gospel of the 1^st Sunday of Lent presents us with the narrative of Jesus in the desert, tempted by the Devil.  There are several descriptions of Satan, but one thing  is constant: he  divides; he tears asunder:  He is the consummate Divider.  We know that he is at work when we see the effects of division, which is what he sets out to do with Jesus in the desert.  And,  as we reflect upon this story, we’ll see from whom he wants to divide Jesus, and how he wants to tempt him.  We want to pay attention, because Satan is going to use the same tactics on us.

         From whom does the devil want to divide Jesus?  After receiving Baptism from John in the Jordan, Jesus was called by his Father “my beloved Son” (Mt 3:17) and the Holy Spirit  descends upon him in the form of a dove (cf. v. 16).  So, in this scene all three divine Persons are joined in love, which is God’s very nature.  Then Jesus will later say that he came into the world to make us partakers of the unity between the Father and the Son in his priestly prayer in John 17:11.  The Devil doesn’t want any of this to obtain; so he enters the scene to divide Jesus from his Father and to distract him from his mission of unity for us.  Satan always divides; that’s his game-plan; that’s what he does because that’s who he is.

         How does Satan try to realize his evil ambition?  To begin with, he tries to take advantage of the human condition of Jesus, who is very weak because he has been fasting for 40 days and he is understandably very hungry (cf. Mt 4:2).  The evil one is going to instill three powerful “poisons”, to paralyze his mission of unity.  These poisons are attachment to the goods of the world; mistrust of the Father; egoic power. 

         First, the poison of attachment.  If we’re not going to worship God with our whole heart and soul, then we will inevitably  turn towards self-worship by pursuing the goods of the world that we believe will fulfill us.  So Satan tries to convince Jesus: “Look, you’re hungry; why must you fast?” Listen to your need and satisfy it; you have the right to assuage your hunger and you’ve got the power to do it: transform the stones into bread. 

         Then the second poison is mistrust.  He raises the specter whether the Father really wants Jesus’ good.  We can test the Father’s resolve by black-mailing him!  How so? Throw yourself down from the highest point of the temple and make Him do what you want.

         Finally, power.  You have no need of the Father.  Follow the criteria of the world, take everything to yourself and you will be powerful.  But, what is the ultimate end-game: You can have all of this if you prostrate yourself and worship me (cf. v. 9); in other words, the ultimate division.

         Brothers and sisters, what happened to Jesus is going to happen to us as we venture into Lent.  We, too, have to deal with attachment to the goods of the world, mistrust of our heavenly Father, and the thirst for power to be in control of our lives.  These three temptations are ubiquitous and dangerous because the Devil will use them to divide us from the Father and to make us no longer feel like brothers and sisters among ourselves.  When we’re divided from God and each other, we inevitably succumb to loneliness and desperation.  Satan wanted to do this to Jesus and he wants to do it to us.

         But Jesus shows us how to respond to these temptations; he shows us how to defeat them.  Above all, don’t dialogue with the Devil!  Don’t invite him to your table!  Jesus does not converse with Satan; he does not play around with him by testing the waters.  Rather, he hears what the Prince of Darkness has to say and gives a response with the Word of God.  As soon as we start talking with the Devil, he gets into our mind and heart where he can sew seeds of disruption.  Jesus confronts the Divider with the Word of God.  He speaks of three things taken from his Jewish tradition which we refer to the Old Testament.  Jesus speaks of freedom from things  (cf. Dt 8:3); trust (cf. Dt 6:16); and service to God (cf. Dt 6:13—all three phrases are opposed to temptation.  Jesus never enters into a dialogue with Satan, he never negotiates with him, splitting the difference to reach some kind of accommodation.  Rather he repels his seductions  with the benefit of the Words of the Scripture.  This is an invitation for us as well.  Don’t argue with the Devil because it can’t end well because his end-game is to separate you from God and your brothers and sisters and to ruin your soul.  One does not defeat him by dealing with him.  He is stronger and smarter than us.  He knows where we are weak and he’ll play on our Dark Side.  Instead, we defeat the devil by countering him in faith with the divine Word.  In this way, Jesus teaches us how to defend our unity with the Triune God and the fellowship of the People of God, the Church.  The divine Word is the answer to the temptation of the devil.

         The Bible, the Word of God, has the strength to defeat the Divider, the Prince of Darkness.  For this reason, it is important that we become familiar with the Bible; we should read it often, indeed, daily, meditate on it, and assimilate it.  The Bible IS the Word of God which is always timely, never out-of-date, and is effective in drawing us into the mystery of God and away from illusion and division. So, when temptation comes, recite the Word of God; pray the Word of God trusting in the grace that Christ Jesus communicates to us.  When we’re dealing with the myriad voices that stir within us, the beneficent Word of God will always resound within us and draw us into communion and fellowship.

         May the Blessed Virgin Mary who welcomed the Word of God within her and humbly defeated the pride of the Divider, accompany us in our spiritual struggle this Lent.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you process the division, hostility, and rancor that plagues our society?
2. Do you dialogue with Satan?  Do you invite him to your table?  How so?
3. The Bible, the Word of God, has the strength to defeat the Divider; are you biblically literate?  Do you ponder the Word of God daily?