First Sunday of Lent 2025

The First Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10 “We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and He heard our cry.”

Psalm: 91  “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”

Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13  “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13  “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.”

Today Moses reminds the Israelites of their humble beginnings and their utter reliance upon God for their deliverance from servitude in Egypt. We also have humble beginnings, as God made us from nothing. Were He to remove His sustaining Hand, we would return to nothingness. Thank God that He loves us enough to maintain our every moment, whether in the body or without it. He sustains us even after we pass away, keeping our soul alive. We are literally nothing without Him.

We also need redemption from slavery – slavery to sin and death. Jesus Christ saved us from sin and death, defeating death by dying on the Cross and rising again. We are people of the Resurrection, believing that Jesus truly died, was buried, and rose again on the third day by His power as God. We believe in the historicity of the Resurrection and of His abiding Presence with us in the Eucharist. We can call upon His Name and He will hear our cry.

Today’s Psalm is an appeal of the heart to God. When we shelter under His wings, in His tent, beneath His shadow, we claim Him as our “refuge and fortress,” this God in whom we trust. God will deliver us from troubles because we cling to Him; He is with us in our distress. Cleave to God in good times and in bad times; He loves us and will calm our restless, troubled hearts. God is good all the time!

The Second Reading comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans. St. Paul exhorts the new Christians to call upon the Lord, to confess Him as Lord, and to believe in His Resurrection. “No one who believes in Him will be put to shame…everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” He saves us from our sins; He saves us from our troubles; He comes to us in our temptations to sway us from sinning. Jesus’ Name is powerful, majestic, mighty, and holy, which is why we bow our heads when Jesus’ Name is invoked. We recognize His holiness and our unworthiness; we acknowledge the great privilege we have in knowing Him, loving Him, and serving Him. Praise Him who loves us so much!

St. Luke narrates the temptations of Jesus after His forty days in the desert. He fasted for forty days in preparation for His mission. On Ash Wednesday, we embarked upon our forty-day journey of Lent. We can choose to fast for those forty days in imitation of Jesus – fasting from food, from social media, from gossip, from whatever keeps you from loving God as fully as you can. Jesus’ first temptation was to turn the stones into bread, as the Devil knew full well that people like to be fed. If Jesus could turn stones into bread, He could cure the world of hunger and people would flock to Him. Jesus rebukes Satan with the words from Scripture: “One does not live on bread alone.”

Jesus’ second temptation was to worship Satan in order to gain “power and glory.” He was tempting Jesus to show His glory at the beginning of the mission, to razzle-dazzle the crowds and gain a large following. Jesus replies again from Scripture, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.”

Satan tempts Jesus a third time, to throw Himself off the Temple in order that angels might come to minister to Him. The Devil wanted Jesus to make a spectacle of Himself, as Satan knew that people love a good show and will gladly follow one who gives it to them. Jesus reprimands Satan from Scripture: “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” The Devil then departed from Jesus “for a time.”

While Scripture does not explicitly state when Satan tested Jesus again, we can infer several other times, such as when Jesus was driving out demons and they exclaimed, “We know who You are – the Holy One of God!” Jesus silenced them, as He did not want people to misunderstand His identity. His messiahship was to be one pointing to Heaven, not one rooted in earthly power. He was not there to overturn Rome, but to convert hearts to true love of God. Certainly when He was on the Cross and the crowds were mocking Him, enticing Him to “come down off that Cross and we will believe,” this was a demonic temptation. These people did not know that they were speaking Satan’s words, but they were. He speaks and acts through us at times, too. Let us examine our consciences and pursue perfection, striving to arrive at the Pearly Gates free from sin. Take the time to confess your sins, receive absolution, and perform your penance. We offer Confession here three days a week (Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays), and we will have the opportunity to confess during the upcoming Parish Mission (March 17-19) and the Parish Penance Service (March 27). “Everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.” So call upon Him! He waits in the Confessional to forgive you. Take advantage of this beautiful sacrament as often as you need it – once a month is what the Church suggests for a healthy spiritual life. The Church precept is once a year, but the precept is the minimum requirement to remain a Catholic in good standing. Go for the gold when competing for the Crown of Life!