In his letter, James explains that temptations will befall the followers of Jesus. But those who can endure such temptations will be blessed. Endurance will lead to a crown of life, which is God's saving judgement.

God does not bring us to temptation. Our lusts and desires tempt us; in this way, none of us is free from being "tested" by temptation. Those who continuously give in to temptations give birth to a chain of evil deeds that lead to death.

However, God only wants to bless all his children with good gifts. Yet, to be blessed by Him, we have to commit ourselves to live according to God's moral laws. The psalm today describes the blessings received by the person who is obedient to God's commandments.

In the Gospel, the struggle between giving in to the temptation of the world and living God's laws come into picture in the episode where Jesus corrects his disciples about the understanding of "bread".

Although the disciples have been journeying with him, they fail to comprehend the real message of Jesus about the Bread of Life. Instead, they are concerned about earthly bread. Jesus challenges them to see, to hear and to understand that only He, the true Bread, can nourish them fully.

In our lives, too, we can be tempted to look for things that lead us away from the ways of God. As such, today, we are invited to examine our appreciation of Jesus as the true Bread from heaven, especially in the Eucharist.