Led by the Spirit
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 afterward 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.” Jesus 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.” (Mt 4:1-4)
In times of testing, let us ask ourselves: “Who or what is the hinge around which my life revolves? What do I want above all else?” Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to make a radical and definitive distinction between himself and the evil spirit, who urges him to base his life on power, possessions and unwholesome desires. Jesus was victorious thanks to his unwavering relationship of love with the Father and his trust in him. Remaining united to him in the Church, our desires find their true direction, the path by means of which the angels draw close to us and become our servants.
Jesus has won!
Jesus, in your time of testing,
you clung steadfastly to the Father’s love.
In the desert, you rejected the spirit that seeks what is bad.
Help me to yearn for what is good
and do not permit me to wander from the path that leads to you.
Amen.
Taken from the book Il Vangelo si fa strada by Roberta Vinerba, FSP Editions 2019
