Temptation rarely comes when we are strong and prepared; more often, temptation comes when we are tired, weak and least expect it. In this Gospel passage, Jesus is tired and weak, and it is then that we see him facing temptation in the wilderness.
After his baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. Jesus had been fasting for
forty days and forty nights. He was hungry, alone and physically weak. God knows us and knows what we need even before we ask; we know this, and scripture reminds us of this. The same is true of the devil: the evil one knows us, and he knows especially our weaknesses.
St Ignatius of Loyola, in his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, found in his Spiritual Exercises, suggests that the evil one acts like a leader of
an army who “pitching his camps and exploring the fortification and defences of a stronghold, attacks it at the weakest point”; this to mean that the evil one looks for our points of greatest weakness and vulnerability to attack there.
At the start of our Lenten journey, when we might be feeling energised, we might pray a little more than we are ordinarily used to. I invite you to an honest reflection on the areas of vulnerability in
your life so that you may become aware of what your weakest points are and strengthen them before the devil tempts you.
What situations frequently discourage me?
Where do I get stuck?
When do I feel helpless?
What situations dishearten me in my prayer, the news, or my relationships, that cause me to doubt God’s love for
me or for the world?
