Come on, now. Forty days is a long time without a meal. I have heard of a strict diet, but this takes the cake. How tempting to turn that stone into a nice piping hot loaf of bread dripping with butter. MMM. Now I am getting hungry, how about you?
Jesus was after something that would satisfy him more than a bite of bread. Did I say, “dripping with butter?” It’s true if the temptation isn’t enough, a little enticement is added to sweeten the deal.
That’s how the devil works. He puts a thought in our head for something he knows we want and will probably jump at immediately. Then, all we have to do is wet our lips, and our imagination takes over.
We build this story in our heads, and wola, we are sunk. Sin has entered our hearts. We took the first bite of a stone we thought was bread. But we can’t digest it; in the end, it will only harm us.
It all began with a simple thought. A thought is nothing and has no power over us until we give it some attention. We start to create a story in our imagination; before we know it, we want what we know is wrong. So acknowledge the thought and let it go, as a day of clouds goes by in seconds during a weathercast.
How do we tame this appetite that only wants to satisfy a hunger it can never satisfy? So we sacrifice ourselves or, if you like, fast for the good of someone else.
Gospel Challenge:
Talk around the family table about what you can do to make each other’s life more pleasant and less stressful.
Who could use some of your time, especially when planning something important to you?
Sacrifice becomes powerful with the embrace of Jesus when it costs us something dear to us. So lent is a beautiful time for Jesus to turn our stones into delicious bread for someone. Oh yes, don’t forget the dripping butter. So may your sacrifice be appealing to someone.
August 30, 2025, Matthew 25:14-30 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083124.cfm What the Master Sees Sometimes, I visit people in the hospital who are in great pain. The morphine
August 29, 2025, Mark 6:17-29 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082925.cfm Speaking The Truth Is Worth A Sacrifice The reading in today’s Gospel is about John the Baptist giving his
August 28, 2025, Matthew 24:42-51 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082825.cfm Stealing Second Base. Imagine you just got a base hit and are on first base. You take
August 27, 2025, Matthew 23:27-32 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082824.cfm Anesthesia Is Painless, But Watch Out. How did people ever manage before anesthesia? They would bite down
1st Sunday of Lent – 03-26-2023
Father Rick’s Three Minute Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent – 03-26-2023
Matthew 4:1-11 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022623.cfm
Why Would Jesus do that?
Come on, now. Forty days is a long time without a meal. I have heard of a strict diet, but this takes the cake. How tempting to turn that stone into a nice piping hot loaf of bread dripping with butter. MMM. Now I am getting hungry, how about you?
Jesus was after something that would satisfy him more than a bite of bread. Did I say, “dripping with butter?” It’s true if the temptation isn’t enough, a little enticement is added to sweeten the deal.
That’s how the devil works. He puts a thought in our head for something he knows we want and will probably jump at immediately. Then, all we have to do is wet our lips, and our imagination takes over.
We build this story in our heads, and wola, we are sunk. Sin has entered our hearts. We took the first bite of a stone we thought was bread. But we can’t digest it; in the end, it will only harm us.
It all began with a simple thought. A thought is nothing and has no power over us until we give it some attention. We start to create a story in our imagination; before we know it, we want what we know is wrong. So acknowledge the thought and let it go, as a day of clouds goes by in seconds during a weathercast.
How do we tame this appetite that only wants to satisfy a hunger it can never satisfy? So we sacrifice ourselves or, if you like, fast for the good of someone else.
Gospel Challenge:
Talk around the family table about what you can do to make each other’s life more pleasant and less stressful.
Who could use some of your time, especially when planning something important to you?
Sacrifice becomes powerful with the embrace of Jesus when it costs us something dear to us. So lent is a beautiful time for Jesus to turn our stones into delicious bread for someone. Oh yes, don’t forget the dripping butter. So may your sacrifice be appealing to someone.
IGNITE THE FIRE
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
or .
Share:
More Posts
Fr. Rick’s Two Minute Homily for Saturday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time
August 30, 2025, Matthew 25:14-30 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083124.cfm What the Master Sees Sometimes, I visit people in the hospital who are in great pain. The morphine
Fr. Rick’s Two-Minute Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
August 29, 2025, Mark 6:17-29 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082925.cfm Speaking The Truth Is Worth A Sacrifice The reading in today’s Gospel is about John the Baptist giving his
Fr. Rick’s Two Minute Thursday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time
August 28, 2025, Matthew 24:42-51 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082825.cfm Stealing Second Base. Imagine you just got a base hit and are on first base. You take
Fr. Rick’s Two Minute Wednesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time
August 27, 2025, Matthew 23:27-32 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082824.cfm Anesthesia Is Painless, But Watch Out. How did people ever manage before anesthesia? They would bite down
Categories
Send Us A Message