First Sunday of Lent, March 9, 2025

First Sunday of Lent, March 9, 2025

Today’s Readings, from the USCCB:

Reading I

Deuteronomy 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

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

R. 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

Romans 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.”

Verse Before the Gospel

Matthew 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel

Luke 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.

 

The Desert of Temptation and Trust

"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." – Luke 4:1

The desert is a place of silence. A place of stripping away. A place where there’s nothing to distract you from the reality of who you are and what you carry inside.

And it’s here – alone, hungry, exposed – that Jesus faces temptation.

Satan doesn’t come at Him with force. He doesn’t strike with weapons or fear. Instead, he whispers offers of comfort, power, and proof.

Turn these stones into bread – satisfy your hunger.

Bow to me, and I’ll give you everything you could ever want.

Throw yourself down – make God prove He’s really with you.

Three temptations, and if I’m being honest, I recognize them all in my own life.

Because I know what it is to want more.

I know what it is to feel forgotten by God.

I know what it is to wonder if I should just take control and make things happen myself.

The Temptation of More

I always want more. More security. More money to pay off debts. More comfort so I don’t have to feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up. I tell myself it’s normal, that I’m just being responsible, that I just want to provide.

But if I sit with it long enough, I start to see the undercurrent of that desire.

It’s not just about having more. It’s about trusting less.

When Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread, He doesn’t deny that He’s hungry. He doesn’t pretend the need isn’t real. But He refuses to let His hunger dictate His trust.

"One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Do I believe that?

Or do I live like my security comes only from what I can earn, what I can control, what I can hold in my hands?

Because every time I let my need for more become my focus, I’m forgetting that God is already providing. Maybe not always in the ways I expect, but in the ways I need.

The Temptation of Power and Control

Satan’s second temptation is power. Bow to me, and I will give you everything.

Jesus doesn’t bite. He knows that real power doesn’t come from shortcuts.

But how many times have I been tempted to chase control?

To manipulate situations to get the outcome I want?

To take the easy route instead of the right one?

To hold on to anger because it feels more powerful than forgiveness?

If I’m honest, I like control. I like knowing what’s coming. I like having a say in my life. But faith doesn’t work that way. It requires surrender. It requires trust in a God I can’t always see or hear.

"You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve."

Not my fears.

Not my plans.

Not my own idea of how things should go.

Just Him.

The Temptation to Test God

This is the one that really hits home.

The devil takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and dares Him to jump, saying, If God is really with you, He’ll catch you.

And I realize – I do this all the time.

I ask God for signs. I bargain with Him. I tell Him, If You’re really there, prove it.

I’ve done it in hospitals, watching my parents slip away.

I’ve done it in my loneliest moments, waiting for a sign that I haven’t been forgotten.

I’ve done it in my prayers for my son, pleading for a win that never seemed to come.

And when the miracle didn’t happen, when the answer wasn’t what I wanted, I let doubt creep in.

"You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

Faith isn’t about demanding proof. It’s about trusting even when I don’t get the answer I want.

And maybe that’s what Lent is really about – not giving something up, but letting something go.

Letting go of my need for control.

Letting go of my doubt.

Letting go of the belief that I have to handle everything myself.

The God Who Hears My Cry

The first reading today reminds us of something important:

"We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and He heard our cry and saw our affliction… He brought us out of Egypt with His strong hand and outstretched arm."

Even when I feel abandoned, God hears me.

Even when I don’t see the answer, God is working.

Even when I struggle to trust, God is still faithful.

I am not forgotten. I am not overlooked.

And maybe, this Lent, I don’t need to test God.

Maybe I just need to trust that He’s been here all along.