First Sunday of Lent

Today the Church celebrates the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; and Luke Matthew 4:1-11. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 51 (Psalm 51:3-6, 12-13, 17).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 51 "Prayer of Repentance - The Miserere" 

The Gospel reading is as follows:

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.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Mass Resources: First Sunday of Lent (March 5, 2017)

Community in Mission: Triumph in Temptation - A Homily for the First Sunday of Lent (4 MAR 17)

Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: The ultimate ‘Undercover Boss’: Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent (4 MAR 17)

The Sacred Page: Jesus the New Adam: Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent (1 MAR 17)

The Sacred Page: The Three Temptations of Jesus (The Mass Readings Explained) (27 FEB 17)

Word on Fire: Three Shortcuts from the Cross (5 MAR 17)

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Through the Desert, Back to the Tree of Life (4 MAR 17) 

Spirituality of the Readings: Unscrambling (1st Sunday of Lent A)

In Exile: Our Three Temptations (1st Sunday of Lent A)

The Word Engaged: Unmasking the Great Deception (1st Sunday of Lent A)

Historical Cultural Context: Spirits (1st Sunday of Lent A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Gregory Nazianzen (1st Sunday of Lent A)