Scripture Reading
Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Reflection
Lent begins not with comfort but with wilderness — with Jesus entering the place of hunger, silence, and testing. The Spirit who led him there leads us there too, not to break us but to strip away what we cling to apart from God. In the desert we discover that the Word of God is more nourishing than anything else we hunger for. This first Sunday invites us to fast willingly, trusting that God is enough.
Prayer for Today
Jesus, King of Kings, You say that the righteous man will live by faith. Mold me in Your image and fill my heart with faith in You. Guide my actions so that I can live by faith and have a life in You, abundantly and eternally. Cleanse my thoughts of impurities, dear God. Keep my eyes fixed on You and You alone. Help me be steadfast in my trust in You and Your Scriptures so that I can live right in Your holy sight. Amen.
Amen.