First Sunday of Lent

24C First Sunday of Lent

Catechism Links
CCC 394, 538-540, 2119: the temptation of Jesus
CCC 2846-2949: “Lead us not into temptation”
CCC 1505: Christ frees from evil
CCC 142-143, 309: faith as submission to God, response to God, answer to evil
CCC 59-63: God forms his priestly people through Abraham and the Exodus

CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 91:10-13 336
Rom 10:9 343, 186, 449; Rom 10:12-13 2739; Rom 10:13 2666
Lk 4:1 695; Lk 4:5-6 2855; Lk 4:8 2096; Lk 4:9 2119; Lk 4:13 538

Back to Deacon's Bench '07
Back to Servant of the Word '10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22

Reading 1
Dt 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.


Reading II
Rm 10:8-13

Brothers and sisters:
What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
. that is, the word of faith that we preach .,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Gospel
Lk 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Moses said to the people: ‘The priest shall take the pannier from your hand and lay it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the sight of the Lord your God, you must make this pronouncement:

‘“My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow. Here then I bring the first-fruits of the produce of the soil that you, the Lord, have given me.”

‘You must then lay them before the Lord your God, and bow down in the sight of the Lord your God.’

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 90(91):1-2,10-15

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

  and abides in the shade of the Almighty

says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,

  my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

Upon you no evil shall fall,

  no plague approach where you dwell.

For you has he commanded his angels,

  to keep you in all your ways.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

They shall bear you upon their hands

  lest you strike your foot against a stone.

On the lion and the viper you will tread

  and trample the young lion and the dragon.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

His love he set on me, so I will rescue him;

  protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’

  I will save him in distress and give him glory.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

Second reading Romans 10:8-13

Scripture says: The word (that is the faith we proclaim) is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Gospel Luke 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone.’

Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him,

‘Scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.’

Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says:
He will put his angels in charge of you
to guard you,
and again:
They will hold you up on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

1st Sunday of Lent

From: Deuteronomy 26:4-10

First Fruits
----------------
(Moses spoke to the people saying,) [4] "Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

[5] "And you shall make response before the Lord your God, 'A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. [6] And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. [7] Then we cried to the Lord the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression; [8] and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders; [9] and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. [10] And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Lord, hast given me.' And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

26:1-11. The Deuteronomic Code, which began by specifying that there should be only one sanctuary (cf. chap. 12), concludes by giving the prayers that were to be said in that sanctuary in connection with the offering of the first fruits.

The offering of the first fruits was an appropriate way for Israel to express gratitude for the great deeds done by God, the "magnalia Dei", the wonders he worked in liberating the people from bondage and establishing them in the promised land.

The prayer that is said on this occasion (vv. 5-9) is a kind of historical-religious Creed, a very important one, which takes in all the main features of Old Testament faith. It is a summary of the history of Israel, centered on its deliverance from Egypt and settlement in the promised land. These two saving actions form a paradigm: they are the hinges on which this "creed" (vv. 8-9) turns. Other Old Testament passages containing similar "professions of faith" are to be found in Deut 6:20-23; Josh 24:1-13; Neh 9:4ff; Jer 32:16-25 and Ps 136.

Jacob is portrayed as a key figure in the early history of the people of Israel; he personifies the patriarchal era. The reference to him not by name but as a "wandering Aramaean" (v. 5) underlines the contrast between the miserable circumstances of Israel earlier and settlement in the promised land. Jacob could be called an Aramaean because Abraham may have been connected with the migrations of Aramaean tribes. Moreover, one must bear in mind the long years Jacob spent in north-eastern Mesopotamia, and his Aramaean wives (Gen 29- 30). The prayer at the first-fruits offering heightens the contrast between the poverty of the homeless, landless Aramaean and the prosperity of the rich landowner enjoying his freedom in a land flowing with milk and honey.

*********************************************************************************************
From: Romans 10:8-13

Israel's Infidelity (Continuation)
--------------------------------------------
[8] But what does it [Moses' writing] say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); [9] because, If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. [11] The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. [13] For, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

******************************************************************************************
Commentary:

6-8. St Paul here quotes and applies some words from Deuteronomy: "This commandment," Moses tells the people of Israel, "which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? [...] Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it" (Deut 30:11-14). The law which God handed to Moses, then, clearly revealed his will and made it much easier to fulfill. By the Incarnation, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us and showed us the way to God. For the Christian the life and teaching of the Word made flesh are divine precepts and commandments. Through his Incarnation Jesus Christ brought us grace and truth; by rising from the dead he conquered death; and by ascending into heaven and, with the Father, sending the Holy Spirit, he perfected his work of redemption.

9. At least from the third century B.C. we have documentary evidence that, out of respect, the Jews did not utter the name "Yahweh" but generally re- ferred to God instead as "Lord". The first Christians, by giving Christ the title of "Lord", were making a profession of faith in the divinity of Jesus.

10. To make the act of faith, human free will must necessarily be involved as St Thomas explains when commenting on this passage: "He very rightly says that man believes with his heart. Because everything else to do with external worship of God, man can do it against his will, but he cannot believe if he does not want to believe. So, the mind of a believer is not obliged to adhere to the truth by rational necessity, as is the case with human knowledge: it is moved by the will" ("Commentary on Rom, ad loc.")

However, in order to live by faith, in addition to internal assent external profession of faith is required; man is made up of body and soul and therefore he tends by nature to express his inner convictions externally; when the honor of God or the good of one's neighbor requires it, one even has an obligation to profess one's faith externally. For example, in the case of persecution we are obliged to profess our faith, even at the risk of life, if, on being interrogated about our beliefs, our silence would lead people to suppose that we did not believe or that we did not hold our faith to be the true faith and our bad example would cause others to fall away from the faith. However, external profession is an obligation not only in extreme situations of that kind. In all situations -- be they ordinary or exceptional -- God will always help us to confess our faith boldly (cf. Mt 10:32-33; Lk 12:8).

******************************************************************************************
From: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus Fasts and Is Tempted in the Wilderness
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit [2] for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, He was hungry. [3] The devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." [4] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" [5] And the devil took Him up, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, [6] and said to Him, "To You I will give all this authority and glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. [7] If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours." [8] And Jesus answered, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"

[9] And he took Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; [10] for it is written, 'He will give His angels charge of you, to guard you,' [11] and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

[12] And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" [13] And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-13. Here we see the devil interfere with Jesus' life for the first time. He does so very brazenly. Our Lord is about to begin His public ministry, so it is a particularly important point in His work of salvation.

"The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand -- God submitting to temptation, letting the Evil One have his way. But we can meditate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 61).

Christ, true God and true man, made Himself like us in everything except sin (cf. Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:7; 4:15) and voluntarily underwent temptation. "How fortunate we are," exclaims the Cure of Ars, "how lucky to have a God as a model. Are we poor? We have a God who is born in a stable, who lies in a manger. Are we despised? We have a God who led the way, who was crowned with thorns, dressed in a filthy red cloak and treated as a madman. Are we tormented by pain and suffering? Before our eyes we have a God covered with wounds, dying in unimaginable pain. Are we being persecuted? How can we dare complain when we have a God who is being put to death by executioners? Finally, are we being tempted by the demon? We have our lovable Redeemer; He was also tempted by the demon and was twice taken up by that hellish spirit: therefore, no matter what sufferings, pains or temptations we are experiencing, we always have, everywhere, our God leading the way for us and assuring us of victory as long as we genuinely desire it" ("Selected Sermons", First Sunday of Lent).

Jesus teaches us therefore that no one should regard himself as incorruptible and proof against temptation; He shows us how we should deal with temptation and exhorts us to have confidence in His mercy, since He Himself experienced temptation (cf. Hebrews 2:18).

For further explanation of this passage, see the notes on Matthew 4:3-11.

13. Our Lord's temptations sum up every kind of temptation man can experience: "Scripture would not have said", St. Thomas comments, "that once all the temptation ended the devil departed from Him, unless the matter of all sins were included in the three temptations already related. For the causes of temptation are the causes of desires -- namely, lust of the flesh, desire for glory, eagerness for power" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 41, a. 4 ad 4).

By conquering every kind of temptation, Jesus shows us how to deal with the snares of the devil. It was as a man that He was tempted and as a man that He resisted: "He did not act as God, bringing His power into play; if He had done so, how could we have availed of His example? Rather, as a man He made use of the resources which He has in common with us" (St. Ambrose, "Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").

He wanted to show us the methods to use to defeat the devil -- prayer, fasting, watchfulness, not dialoguing with temptation, having the words of God's Scripture on our lips and putting our trust in the Lord.

"Until an opportune time", that is, until it is time for Jesus to undergo His passion. The devil often appears in the course of our Lord's public life (cf., for example, Mark 12:28), but it will be at the Passion--"this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53)--that he will be most clearly seen in his role as tempter. Jesus will forewarn His disciples about this and once more assure them of victory (cf. John 12:31; 14:30). Through the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, the devil will be overpowered once and for all. And by virtue of Christ's victory we are enabled to overcome all temptations.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.