By JP Misheff, February 19, 2026
This Lenten season, we invite you to journey with a group of Saint John’s School of Theology Masters candidates who gathered to pray with the Gospel readings from all five Sundays of the season, utilizing the ancient Benedictine practice of Lectio Divina. Together they meditated and reflected on such iconic scenes as Jesus’ temptation in the desert, the Samaritan woman meeting Christ at the well, the Transfiguration, and more.
JP Misheff, a 1st year MDiv candidate, reflects on the first Gospel from this coming Sunday, Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus’ temptation in the desert.
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply,
“It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city,
and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus answered him,
“Again it is written,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,
and he said to him, “”All these I shall give to you,
if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him,
“Get away, Satan!
It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then the devil left him and, behold,
angels came and ministered to him.
A very special thanks to the SoT students who participated in this series: Julia Fryc, Emma Johnson, JP Misheff, Brother Edgar Mwalongo, Sister Pio Wang.
JP Misheff is a 1st year MDiv candidate at Saint John’s School of Theology.
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