SCRIPTURE SEARCH®

Gospel for February 26, 2023

Matthew 4:1-11

Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent, Cycle A: Jesus with the tempter. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.

In a final temptation, Satan called upon Jesus to worship him in return for earthly power and prestige. In doing so, Satan was tempting Jesus to offer him the adoration due to God alone. Jesus replied, again citing a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy, “You shall do homage to the Lord your God; him alone shall you endure” (Dt 6:13). Jesus’ mission was precisely to build up the Kingdom of God, to extend God’s dynamic Lordship over all. This was a temptation to entirely abandon the main point of his entire ministry.

This Sunday’s Gospel should convince us, at the beginning of this Lenten season, of both the power of temptation in our lives, as well as the power we have in Christ to resist that temptation. This Gospel is a call for all people to turn toward God, to turn away from our sins, to abandon any undue reliance on things of the earth, and to strive after the fruits of God’s goodness. May this Gospel inspire us to improve our likeness to Jesus, a likeness that can be marred by sin, but a likeness which can become quite radiant the more closely we mimic the Risen Christ.

Msgr. Fell is a Scripture scholar and director, diocesan Office for Priest Personnel

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The Tests