February 22, 2026: What is your Temptation?

What is your Temptation?

During the weeks I was down under in Sydney, Australia, it was their summer. One of the things I enjoyed most while staying with the monks at the monastery was sitting around a bonfire at night, listening to their stories.  [I light a fire to represent a bonfire]

Bonfires, campfires—even propane fires on the back deck—have always had a way of bringing people together and making space for stories to be shared. It’s believed that many of the Old Testament stories were not written down until about 500 years before Jesus was born. Until then, people passed on the stories of their ancestors—like the one we heard in our first reading—by telling and retelling them. I like to imagine many of those stories being shared around a campfire at night.

Now, remember: all the stories of the Bible are true, but not all of them happened in the way we might expect. They weren’t meant to be scientific explanations or historical proof texts. They were meant to answer the deepest questions of life:

What is the meaning of life?
Where do we come from?
What is our relationship with God?
Why is there evil in the world?
Why do good people suffer?

These questions were especially important for the Jewish people during and after their exile in Babylon, which is when many of these ancient stories were finally written down.

The story of Adam and Eve was not written to justify the dominance of men over women. It was written to wrestle with questions about why life is hard and why suffering exists. And the Church pairs that story with today’s Gospel on the first Sunday of Lent to invite us to reflect on our own temptations.

Jesus was tempted after forty days in the desert—the length of Lent. Adam and Eve, representing all humanity, were tempted in the garden to become like God. So the question for today—and the question to pray with this week—is simple:  What are your temptations?

Is it overeating?
Swearing without even thinking about it?
Using your phone too much?

Choosing work emails over being present to your children or partners.

Looking at the inappropriate web-site.
Reaching for alcohol or vaping the moment stress shows up.
Needing things done your way, even when it hurts relationships.
Scrolling social media and thinking, “Why don’t I have that life?”
Saying, “I’ll pray later,” and later never comes.

And for you teens:
Staying silent when you should speak up, because it’s easier.

Laughing at a joke, that hurts someone, so you don’t stand out.
Joining in gossip so you don’t become the next target.
Acting tough or sarcastic to hide your insecurity.
Sending a message you know you’ll regret.
Skipping Mass or prayer because you’re lazy.
Thinking everyone else is happier, more confident, more popular.

And for you kids: 

Not sharing.
Saying, “I didn’t do it,” when you did.
Leaving someone out on the playground.
Pretending not to hear mom or dad when they call.
Quitting homework or a game when it gets hard.
Thinking, “God doesn’t care about me.”

The issue isn’t being tempted—that’s as old as time. The issue is what we do with it. And I’d suggest we don’t keep it to ourselves. Talk to someone—a trusted friend, a family member, your spouse. And teens, try your parents; they care more than they sometimes let on.

But the best place to bring our temptations is to Jesus—to God, to the Holy Spirit. Just talk. Openly and honestly. Every day. It really does get easier the more you do it. And of course, we wrap all of this in the truth we celebrate every Lent: how deeply God loves us, believes in us, and forgives us. We have the Sacrament of Reconciliation every Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and our communal Lenten Reconciliation on Wednesday, March 11.* Plan to come as a family—we’ll have many priests available.

Temptations may look different at every stage of life, but they all whisper the same lie—if people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me . . . or that I’m not lovable by God. Lies.  

Lent calls us back to the fire—not to stare at it, but to tend it. Faith, like a fire, needs attention. If we ignore it, it grows cold. If we feed it with prayer, honesty, and small acts of trust, it grows stronger.

Temptation usually comes when we’re tired, stressed, or lonely. That’s not weakness—that’s being human. The answer isn’t willpower; it’s staying close to Jesus, who makes us righteous as St Paul talked about in the second reading.

So this week . . . image siting by a fire with God. Tell God the truth. And listen for the voice that is stronger than any temptation . . . God saying, “I know. It’s okay. I will never stop loving you.” 

*date correction.