A Cornerstone of Faith and Works

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to the path of faith and works in Jesus Way as our mission of “diakonia” in the many dwellings of the Father.

Faith Works and Full Life

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents The Need for Assistants.

* [6:1–7] The Hellenists…the Hebrews: the Hellenists were not necessarily Jews from the diaspora, but were more probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. Both groups belong to the Jerusalem Jewish Christian community. The conflict between them leads to a restructuring of the community that will better serve the community’s needs. The real purpose of the whole episode, however, is to introduce Stephen as a prominent figure in the community whose long speech and martyrdom will be recounted in Acts 7.

* [6:2–4] The essential function of the Twelve is the “service of the word,” including development of the kerygma by formulation of the teachings of Jesus.

* [6:2] To serve at table: some commentators think that it is not the serving of food that is described here but rather the keeping of the accounts that recorded the distribution of food to the needy members of the community. In any case, after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented carrying out the task for which they were appointed (Acts 6:2–3). Rather, two of their number, Stephen and Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They, the Hellenist counterpart of the Twelve, are active in the ministry of the word.

* [6:6] They…laid hands on them: the customary Jewish way of designating persons for a task and invoking upon them the divine blessing and power to perform it. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 invites the just to Praise God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Peter presents God’s House and People.

* [2:4–8] Christ is the cornerstone (cf. Is 28:16) that is the foundation of the spiritual edifice of the Christian community (1 Pt 2:5). To unbelievers, Christ is an obstacle and a stumbling block on which they are destined to fall (1 Pt 2:8); cf. Rom 11:11.

* [2:5] Let yourselves be built: the form of the Greek word could also be indicative passive, “you are being built” (cf. 2 Pt 2:9).

* [2:9–10] The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race” (cf. Is 43:20–21) indicates their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, they have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23). (1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John continues to present the Last Supper Discourses.

* [14:1–31] Jesus’ departure and return. This section is a dialogue marked off by a literary inclusion in Jn 14:1, 27: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

* [14:1] You have faith: could also be imperative: “Have faith.”

* [14:3] Come back again: a rare Johannine reference to the parousia; cf. 1 Jn 2:28.

* [14:4] The way: here, of Jesus himself; also a designation of Christianity in Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.

* [14:6] The truth: in John, the divinely revealed reality of the Father manifested in the person and works of Jesus. The possession of truth confers knowledge and liberation from sin (Jn 8:32).

* [14:7] An alternative reading, “If you knew me, then you would have known my Father also,” would be a rebuke, as in Jn 8:19.

* [14:8] Show us the Father: Philip is pictured asking for a theophany like Ex 24:9–10; 33:18. (John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth comments that the passage from Acts reminds us that the early Christians had their flaws and squabbled with each other just like we do.She is actually a little surprised that they didn’t turn serving dinner over to the community’s women.

I also think about the prayer/service conundrum that this passage highlights. Isn’t humble service a form of prayer? I think of saints like Mother Teresa working in the slums of Calcutta and the pre-papal pictures of Pope Leo donning rubber boots to aid flood victims in Peru. Prayer and service seem inexorably linked, rather than being an either/or choice.

But we don’t have to go to India or Peru to find people who linked the two. We all have our own local role models. One of mine is the late John Schlegel S.J., who not only served as president of Creighton but spent many evenings inconspicuously serving dinner to the homeless at Siena-Francis House. I suspect this work inspired him to create the University’s day of service to the homeless that brought hundreds to the campus for health checks, job assistance and other aid. (Wirth, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Father Works Together with the Son,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Father was not born of the Virgin, and yet this birth of the Son from the Virgin was the work of both Father and Son. The Father did not suffer on the cross, and yet the passion of the Son was the work of both Father and Son. The Father did not rise again from the dead, and yet the resurrection of the Son was the work of both Father and Son. You have the persons quite distinct, and their working inseparable. So let us never say that the Father worked anything without the Son, the Son anything without the Father. Or perhaps you are worried about the miracles Jesus did, in case perhaps he did some that the Father did not do? Then what about 'But the Father abiding in me does his works'?" (excerpt from Sermon 52,14) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:1-12 comments that Jesus’ words “Where I am you also may be” (John 14:3) can be reassuring for us as well. He promises to be with each of us always. He dwells in us through Baptism. He comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine in the Eucharist. He is with us through his Holy Spirit. And he is preparing a dwelling place for us, too, in his Father’s house.

This is the good news: Jesus is always present to you—both now and forever in eternity. Whatever trials you may experience, you never have to feel alone or abandoned. You can call on him for his guidance, his wisdom, and his mercy at any moment of the day or night.

So “do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). The One who died and rose for you will never let you go. Even when you can’t sense his presence, know that he is with you. He is interceding for you with the Father. Even now, he is preparing a dwelling place for you, a place so wonderful that it’s beyond anything you could ever imagine!

“Jesus, I praise you for your constant presence in my life!” (Meditation on John 14:1-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Acts presents the episode where the Apostles are told that widows and orphans are being ignored. The word “diakonia” is a Greek noun meaning "service," "ministry," or "relief," and it occurs in the choice of the first seven deacons. The Apostles lay their hands on them to ordain them to govern through the action of the Holy Spirit. In the Last Supper Discourses, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is the living stone and the people are built into the house of the Lord. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises. The stone is a solid foundation and also a stumbling block. God has consecrated these people who are made into “Church”. In the Last Supper Discourses, Jesus shows them He is way truth and life. In the Hebrew Testament, God is “emet” that means faithful and truthful. The Life of Vitality begins in encountering Jesus. We have seen the Father in the works and words of Jesus. Friar Jude comments that Our Trinity is a community that is not split, but involves service, community, and mutual love as exists between the Father and the Son. 

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces James Finley and Mirabai Starr who describe how the Song of Songs in the Old Testament expresses the soul’s longing for God as well as God’s longing for us.

The Song of Songs is our soul’s quintessential blueprint. We often have this sense that to be born is to be separated from our source. The path of this life, then, is a path of return and homecoming—and it’s characterized in many ways by longing, yearning, and remembering in our bones that we come from Love. The desire beyond all other desires is to return to Love. That spiritual longing is often expressed or mirrored in our human relationships. I don’t see that as a problem. Our human relationships are not illusions that stand in for the real thing, the spiritual longing of our spiritual selves. Rather, our human relationships are the field on which this love dance plays out in this life.

Anyone who’s ever been smitten by love doesn’t need to explain why the Song of Songs is sacred. In other words, love’s the best thing going. It’s way up there with hummingbirds and sunsets. It’s one of God’s better ideas, because a life rich with love is a life rich with meaning. God is the infinity of love; therefore, our love for each other is an incarnate manifestation of that infinite love, which is incarnate in our love for each other.

The Song of Songs expresses this love song of the heart. The rhythms of the poet’s voice are the rhythms of love itself. The language is so poetic because it’s evocatively incarnating the nonlinear realizations of love. That’s why, when we read Scripture this way, it affects us at such a deep level. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the role of the Holy Spirit in opening the Love between Father and Son as the fuel for our service to the “widows and orphans” of our daily environment.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6? 

John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14? 

Meditation on John 14:1-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/03/1556525/ 

1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrie ved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1peter/2? 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Love Song of the Soul. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-song-of-the-soul/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, Show Us the Father. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wirth, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton On line Ministries. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-3-2026 

Way Truth and Life

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, May Day: International Workers Day, invite us to ponder the Way, Truth, and Life of Jesus to guide our work and organization for justice and life giving work for all in the Vineyard of the Lord.

The Way

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles proclaims the theme of the Galilean witnesses.

* [13:31] The theme of the Galilean witnesses is a major one in the Gospel of Luke and in Acts and is used to signify the continuity between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the church and to guarantee the fidelity of the church’s teachings to the words of Jesus. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 2 praises making the Israelite king the earthly representative of God.

* [Psalm 2] A royal Psalm. To rebellious kings (Ps 2:1–3) God responds vigorously (Ps 2:4–6). A speaker proclaims the divine decree (in the legal adoption language of the day), making the Israelite king the earthly representative of God (Ps 2:7–9) and warning kings to obey (Ps 2:10–11). The Psalm has a messianic meaning for the Church; the New Testament understands it of Christ (Acts 4:25–27; 13:33; Heb 1:5). (Psalms, PSALM 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents the Last Supper Discourses.

* [14:1–31] Jesus’ departure and return. This section is a dialogue marked off by a literary inclusion in Jn 14:1, 27: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

* [14:1] You have faith: could also be imperative: “Have faith.”

* [14:3] Come back again: a rare Johannine reference to the parousia; cf. 1 Jn 2:28.

* [14:4] The way: here, of Jesus himself; also a designation of Christianity in Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.

* [14:6] The truth: in John, the divinely revealed reality of the Father manifested in the person and works of Jesus. The possession of truth confers knowledge and liberation from sin (Jn 8:32). (John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tamora Whitney comments that, in the first reading, Paul says Jerusalem did not recognize Jesus when he was alive and did not understand that he was the one.

Jesus says in the gospel that he is the way, the truth, and the life. And those who recognize him and follow him will have a place prepared and waiting. But as we have seen lately, it is hard to recognize Jesus. Even those closest to him have not recognized him. Those who were around him and heard him talk did not recognize him. And following him is not the easiest path. Recognizing him means realizing he is the one and that he is the way. And following that way means doing what is right, and looking out for others and not just ourselves. I look around, and I am afraid that not everyone gets it, and I am concerned about the state of the world. I wish everyone here actually recognized and was following. I think it would be great if this was a safe place. But I am still comforted to know that a place is prepared, and there is a path to follow to get there. (Whitney, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes  “Walk by faith in the truth,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Persevere now in walking by faith in the truth, that you may succeed in coming at a definite and due time to the sight of the same truth. For as the apostle says, 'While staying here in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we are walking by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:6-7). We are led to the direct sight and vision of the Father by Christian faith. That is why the Lord says, 'No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (excerpt from SERMON 12.5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 14:1-6 comments that it’s easy to relate to Thomas’ frustration. It’s normal to feel uncertain and to long for a clear road map to our Father’s house. But what Thomas and the other disciples didn’t yet understand is that they didn’t need a map to reach this destination; they needed a Person.

Now ascended to heaven, Jesus calls us to live in trust and surrender to our Father. And it’s not beyond our reach! Jesus will teach us, mold us, and help us to live as God’s children. He will show us how to stay close to our Father, know his will, and carry it out, just as he did.

What a comfort! The more you spend time with Jesus, the more you will know “the way,” and the farther you will travel down the road to union with God. The way is a Person, to know and love. And this Person is Jesus, who loves you. (Meditation on John 14:1-6, n.d.)

“Thank you, Jesus! You are my way.”

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Acts, Paul continues his discourse to the Jews and “God fearers,” in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. Today, he proclaims how Jesus preached the Gospel and Paul tells them it fulfills the prophecy in Psalm 2 “You are my Son”. This proclamation is a revealing of truth and a challenge to the community. Many of the early converts from Judaism were the “God fearers” and they joined the “new group”. In John’s Gospel, the Last Support discourse, Jesus is going away to prepare a place for them and then return. Jesus proclaims He is the Way to do what God wants of us to reveal the Love of God. The Truth means we hear the very message of God as a faithful witness. The Life of Vitality is experienced by embracing the knowledge of Jesus. Friar Jude comments that the measure given to Martha of living in Jesus is the measure of how much we are loving.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that a practice of contemplation carries us into the “Big River” of God’s love, enabling us to release our fears. 

 

I believe that faith might be precisely that ability to trust the Big River of God’s providential love, which is to trust its visible embodiment (the Christ), the flow (the Holy Spirit), and the source itself (the Creator). This is a divine process that we don’t have to change, coerce, or improve. We just need to allow it and enjoy it. That takes immense confidence in God, especially when we’re hurting. Often, we feel ourselves get panicky and quickly want to make things right. We lose our ability to be present and go up into our heads and start obsessing. At that point we’re not really feeling or experiencing things in our hearts and bodies. We’re oriented toward making things happen, trying to push or even create our own river. Yet the Big River is already flowing through us and each of us is only one small part of it. 

Faith does not need to push the river precisely because it is able to trust that there is a river. The river is flowing; we are already in it. This is probably the deepest meaning of “divine providence.” So do not be afraid. We have been proactively given the Spirit by a very proactive God.  Rohr, R. (n.d.)

We contemplate the great gift of the Spirit that guides our journey in the Way, Truth, and Life of Jesus.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13?26 

John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14? 

Meditation on John 14:1-6. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/01/1555375/ 

Psalms, PSALM 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/2?6 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A River of Safety. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-river-of-safety/

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Whitney, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 1, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-1-2026 

Trust and Temptation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the tension between truth and temptation that is too often the confusion that distracts us to disorder and self aggrandizement. 

Power or Providence

The Reading from the Book of Genesis describes The Garden of Eden and the decisions that led to Expulsion from Eden

* [2:7] God is portrayed as a potter molding the human body out of earth. There is a play on words in Hebrew between ’adam (“human being,” “man”) and ’adama (“ground”). It is not enough to make the body from earth; God must also breathe into the man’s nostrils. A similar picture of divine breath imparted to human beings in order for them to live is found in Ez 37:5, 9–10; Jn 20:22. The Israelites did not think in the (Greek) categories of body and soul.

* [2:8] Eden, in the east: the place names in vv. 8–14 are mostly derived from Mesopotamian geography (see note on vv. 10–14). Eden may be the name of a region in southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), the term derived from the Sumerian word eden, “fertile plain.” A similar-sounding Hebrew word means “delight,” which may lie behind the Greek translation, “The Lord God planted a paradise [= pleasure park] in Eden.” It should be noted, however, that the garden was not intended as a paradise for the human race, but as a pleasure park for God; the man tended it for God. The story is not about “paradise lost.”

The garden in the precincts of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem seems to symbolize the garden of God (like gardens in other temples); it is apparently alluded to in Ps 1:3; 80:10; 92:14; Ez 47:7–12; Rev 22:1–2.

* [2:9] The second tree, the tree of life, is mentioned here and at the end of the story (3:22, 24). It is identified with Wisdom in Prv 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4, where the pursuit of wisdom gives back to human beings the life that is made inaccessible to them in Gn 3:24. In the new creation described in the Book of Revelation, the tree of life is once again made available to human beings (Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19). Knowledge of good and evil: the meaning is disputed. According to some, it signifies moral autonomy, control over morality (symbolized by “good and evil”), which would be inappropriate for mere human beings; the phrase would thus mean refusal to accept the human condition and finite freedom that God gives them. According to others, it is more broadly the knowledge of what is helpful and harmful to humankind, suggesting that the attainment of adult experience and responsibility inevitably means the loss of a life of simple subordination to God.

* [2:17] You shall die: since they do not die as soon as they eat from the forbidden tree, the meaning seems to be that human beings have become mortal, destined to die by virtue of being human.

* [2:18] Helper suited to him: lit., “a helper in accord with him.” “Helper” need not imply subordination, for God is called a helper (Dt 33:7; Ps 46:2). The language suggests a profound affinity between the man and the woman and a relationship that is supportive and nurturing.

* [2:25] They felt no shame: marks a new stage in the drama, for the reader knows that only young children know no shame. This draws the reader into the next episode, where the couple’s disobedience results in their loss of innocence. (Genesis, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)

* [3:1] Cunning: there is a play on the words for “naked” (2:25) and “cunning/wise” (Heb. ‘arum). The couple seek to be “wise” but end up knowing that they are “naked.”

* [3:5] Like gods, who know: or “like God who knows.”

* [3:8] The breezy time of the day: lit., “the wind of the day.” Probably shortly before sunset. (Genesis, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13). (Psalms, PSALM 51, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans contrasts Humanity’s Sin through Adam. and Grace and Life through Christ.

* [5:12–21] Paul reflects on the sin of Adam (Gn 3:1–13) in the light of the redemptive mystery of Christ. Sin, as used in the singular by Paul, refers to the dreadful power that has gripped humanity, which is now in revolt against the Creator and engaged in the exaltation of its own desires and interests. But no one has a right to say, “Adam made me do it,” for all are culpable (Rom 5:12): Gentiles under the demands of the law written in their hearts (Rom 2:14–15), and Jews under the Mosaic covenant. Through the Old Testament law, the sinfulness of humanity that was operative from the beginning (Rom 5:13) found further stimulation, with the result that sins were generated in even greater abundance. According to Rom 5:15–21, God’s act in Christ is in total contrast to the disastrous effects of the virus of sin that invaded humanity through Adam’s crime.

* [5:12] Inasmuch as all sinned: others translate “because all sinned,” and understand v 13 as a parenthetical remark. Unlike Wis 2:24, Paul does not ascribe the entry of death to the devil. (Romans, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Temptation of Jesus.

* [4:1–11] Jesus, proclaimed Son of God at his baptism, is subjected to a triple temptation. Obedience to the Father is a characteristic of true sonship, and Jesus is tempted by the devil to rebel against God, overtly in the third case, more subtly in the first two. Each refusal of Jesus is expressed in language taken from the Book of Deuteronomy (Dt 8:3; 6:13, 16). The testings of Jesus resemble those of Israel during the wandering in the desert and later in Canaan, and the victory of Jesus, the true Israel and the true Son, contrasts with the failure of the ancient and disobedient “son,” the old Israel. In the temptation account Matthew is almost identical with Luke; both seem to have drawn upon the same source.

* [4:2] Forty days and forty nights: the same time as that during which Moses remained on Sinai (Ex 24:18). The time reference, however, seems primarily intended to recall the forty years during which Israel was tempted in the desert (Dt 8:2).

* [4:4] Cf. Dt 8:3. Jesus refuses to use his power for his own benefit and accepts whatever God wills.

* [4:5–7] The devil supports his proposal by an appeal to the scriptures, Ps 91:11a, 12. Unlike Israel (Dt 6:16), Jesus refuses to “test” God by demanding from him an extraordinary show of power.

* [4:9] The worship of Satan to which Jesus is tempted is probably intended to recall Israel’s worship of false gods. His refusal is expressed in the words of Dt 6:13. (Matthew, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Jim Caime, SJ, notes with a question that Lent begins here. Not with dramatic penances. Not with grand spiritual gestures. But with a quiet, searching question:

“Where have I allowed harm to take root in me?”

 Perhaps we enter Lent to unlearn the logic of harm and learn again the way of trust.

“Beat your swords into plows.”

It is an ancient promise.
And a daily decision.

Maybe the first grace of Lent is simply this:
to let ourselves feel the grief.
to allow the tears.
to ask for our sight to return.

The desert clears the eyes.
It reminds us that love is not weakness.
It reminds us that restraint is strength.
It reminds us that all is holy here.

And perhaps Lent begins when we dare to believe again that the only law is love. (Caime, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “On the Snare of the Devil,” by Ambrose, 339-397 A.D.

"The devil said to Jesus: 'If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread' (Luke 4:3). Here we learn that there are three principal weapons that the devil likes to carry in order to wound our souls. They are gluttony, arrogance and ambition. Here begins the weapon with which he has already been victorious. We likewise should begin to be victorious in Christ in the very same area in which we have been defeated in Adam - we should be wary of gluttony. The devious trap is set for us when the table is laid for a royal banquet - it is bound to weaken our defences.

"See what weapons Christ uses to defeat the power of the devil. He does not use the almighty power he has as God - what help would that be to us? In his humanity he summons the help common to all - overlooking bodily hunger and seeking the word of God for nourishment.

"Whoever follows the Word is no longer attached to earthly bread, because he receives the bread of heaven and knows the divine is better than the human, the spiritual is better than the physical. Therefore, because such a person desires the true life, he looks for that which fortifies the heart by means of its invisible substance." (excerpt from On the Gospel of St. Luke, 4, 17) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explores Genesis 2, the beginning of the story Creation in the Garden, and the command not to eat of the tree of good and evil or all knowledge. The cunning and clever animal of temptation exaggerates the prohibition and Eve responds about not touching, falsely extending the prohibition, to underline the injustice she feels. In Hebrew, there is some ambiguity about the translation of death. Eve wants to bring others into the fall as we often seek to do. In the Letter to the Romans, Paul writes of sin entering the world through one man and we all live in the consequences of original sin that Friar Jude comments may be interpreted as guilt. Dad robbed the bank and it changed my life. We learn of our impact on others and by the time we are born we suffer from the selfishness around us. Jesus is the One who can cancel that death decision. The temptation in the desert presents comfort, putting God to the test, and power to Jesus. Friar Jude notes we are all tempted to misuse our gifts through which we will have sullied something precious.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 4:1-11 comments that in the wilderness, Jesus defeated the devil by trusting his Father and aligning himself with his will. At the same time, he showed us how to battle our own temptations.

We all face testing. Our Lenten fasting is difficult, our best-laid plans go awry, someone we love falls ill. In our “wilderness,” we are tempted to doubt the goodness of God’s plan. In our “hunger,” we wonder if he will provide. But Jesus promises that we will not be tested beyond our ability (1 Corinthians 10:13). And he is with us to give us strength.

Cling to the Lord today—he knows what it is to be hungry.

“Lord, help me to trust in your ways and resist temptation.” (Meditation on Matthew 4:1-11, n.d.)

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how the Exodus story models a growing trust in God through times of unknowing. The stories of Exodus make inner sense to us only as we ourselves walk a journey of faith. If we listen to the Spirit, we can rather easily relate these stories to our own life.

We have to turn to God and allow ourselves to be led on this faith journey. We have to be willing to experience the Exodus in our own lives and enter into our own desert wanderings. We have to let God liberate us from captivity to freedom, from Egypt to Canaan, not fully knowing how to cross the desert between the two.

The prophet Moses takes the risk of faith. All that God gives him is a promise, and yet he acts on that promise. People of faith expect the promises of their deepest soul to be fulfilled; for them, life becomes a time between promise and fulfillment. It’s never a straight line, but always three steps forward and two backward—and the backward creates much of the knowledge and impetus for the forward.

Can we trust, like the Israelites, that the way to the Promised Land is through the desert? When we least expect it, there is an oasis. As the Scriptures promise, God will make the desert bloom (Isaiah 35:1). (Rohr, 2025)

We need to invoke the Spirit to guide us in these times where we are tempted by the misinformation proclaimed with evil intent to erode our trust in Providence and divert us from the path of faith, hope and love as true guideposts for our journey.

References

Caime, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-22-2026 

Genesis, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/2?7 

Genesis, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3 

Matthew, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4?1 

Meditation on Matthew 4:1-11. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/22/1506886/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Rohr, R. (2025, March 13). Leaving for the Promised Land. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/leaving-for-the-promised-land/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/5?12 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Fasted and Was Tempted by the Devil. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 22, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/