Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Tuesday of the sixth week in ordinary time, February 17th, 2026

Delivered by Evelyn from the Parish of Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of Singapore. James 1: 12-18; Rs psalm 94: 12-13a.14-15.18-19; Mark 8: 14-21.STRONG IN FACINGTRIALS The title for our meditation today is: Strong inFacing Trials. In the New Testament of the holy scriptures, Jesus Christteaches us to be strong in facing trials. The experience of facing a trial or testcan be seen similar to a judgement, which means to test someone whether he isable to pass the trial or not. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew 26:41,which is the same as Mark 14:38 and Luke 22:40, Jesus reminds us to always bestrong in prayer and vigilant against the danger of falling into temptation.Our flesh or body is weak, so it is easy to become target and tempted byenemies. God Himself also reminded His people in the OldTestament to be strong against the temptations, trials and evil forces in life.When Moses faced Pharaoh in Egypt, he was truly in a severe trial. But he wasalso obedient to God's guidance and commands. By adhering to this principlethat God teaches and strengthens us, it is clear a  mere game or joke to assume that God alsotempts us. There is a presumption or preception among us that God disturbs andtempts us. This is just taken for granted as a kind of temptation that we humannormally face. But this is obviously impossible. How does the Lord strengthenus, however, He also tempts what He Himself ordains, strengthens and protects? Therefore Saint James in the first reading affirmsthat it is impossible for God to tempt us his beloved children. God does nothave a system of operation like any other human and spirit beings who have evildesire to try, to tempt, or to deceive others. The prince of tempters and evilspirits is the devil. This satanic power prioritizes his work on human behaviorthat is against God's way. Naturally humans have freedom, therefore, anybodycan choose to follow the influence of Satan. So man is tried and tempted by hisor her own desire that has been controlled by the evil one. When do we know that we meet a trial or temptation?The accounts in today's Gospel describe a common situation when someone fecestrials. When our minds and hearts begin to understand and consider that God isfar away or not with us. When we worry or presume that our fate will be indifficulty because there are so many challenges, difficulties, and threatsaround us. Moreover, we are deeply haunted by our inability to deal with all thechallenges and problems. So, temptations will reach us when there is only alittle faith, when there is assumption that there are many threats around us,and the view that God is far away. Therefore, this is the advice for us: that wemust be strong!Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Almighty God,fill us with a brave and strong spirit of faith to face all the trials and temptationsin this life. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit... Inthe name of the Father ...