Today the 22nd of February 2026 is the first Sunday of Lent.
We reflect today on the theme, the Word of God, light to guide our paths.
My dear brothers, my dear sisters, there are a few messages hidden in the gospel passage I will read today from Matthew 4:1-11 that we often overlook. These messages have a heavy weight for our Lenten journey. We notice that the temptations happened in the desert and in each one of them Jesus never spoke first. He did not initiate the conversations. He did not provoke the encounters. He did not appeal to his authority or explain his identity. The devil spoke first every single time and he tried to tease Jesus into appealing to his authority.
In a world like ours, busy, noisy, reactive, this already challenges us. We are accustomed to speaking quickly, defending ourselves immediately, responding to every provocation. Silence is easily mistaken for weakness. Restraint is seen as defeat. Yet in the desert, Jesus shows us another kind of strength. The strength to remain rooted, especially rooted in the word of God and not be dragged into unnecessary battles.
When the devil says, "If you are the Son of God," Jesus did not begin to argue about his identity. He did not fight back at the insult. He did not feel compelled to prove himself. He responded to the subject of the temptation itself and he did so calmly, firmly, and with the Word of God. Scripture says:
And even the tempter did not have a response. He sought for other temptations.
This speaks directly to our lives. How often are we tempted daily to speak when we should in fact be making a discernment, to react when we should be reflective, to defend ourselves where you should be silent?
In our homes, a word spoken in a moment of thoughtlessness becomes an argument because we must have the last say. On our roads, a minor provocation escalates into a quarrel and a war of words because silent feels humiliating. At work, criticism leads us into long explanations driven more by pride than by truth.
Lent invites us to learn from Jesus that not every word or insult spoken deserves our response in kind that the temptations happen in the desert also reveals something to us.
Jesus did not answer the temptations with emotion, with clever arguments or with personal opinion. He answered with scripture. That is important. It tells us that the word of God is not merely something we quote in church. Its prescriptions and commands should guide our choices and responses to situations.
The message in the temptations of Jesus is to teach us that when pressure mounts, leading us, for example, to cut corners because everyone is doing it, the word reminds us that integrity still matters.
When impatience tempts us to speak harshly to those closest to us, the word reminds us that gentleness is not
weakness.
When silence feels too expensive, the word assures us that obedience bears fruit even when unseen.
There's also another consoling message here. After the devil had exhausted all his tricks and there was no more it could do, the devil left him and then the angels appeared and looked after him. It is only after enduring the moments of temptation that he had shown patience and perseverance before the heavens intervened in the form of angels coming to serve him.
With this, the gospel assures us that God's threatening presence often comes after fidelity and perseverance, not before. Your silence, restraint, and fidelity are not wasted. They prepared the ground for grace.
So during this Lenten season, let us ask for the wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain quiet, when to respond and when to remain rooted.
Let us allow the word of God to shape our responses rather than our emotions.
Lord Jesus, teach us the strength of silence and the wisdom of restraint. Help us to resist the urge to defend ourselves at every moment. Anchor us in your word when voices compete for our attention. Grant us the grace to remain faithful in our deserts, trusting that your help comes in its time.
The Almighty God bless you today and always. In the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
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