Mass Reflection: Sunday - 22nd February 2026

 

GN 2:7-9; 3:1-7; PS 51:3-6,12-13,17; ROM 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19; MT 4:1-11

As we enter the season of Lent, the Church invites us into 40 days of intentional reflection, repentance, and renewal. These readings remind us that Lent is not simply about giving something up, but about making room for God. For Christian stewards, this season calls us to look honestly at how we are using the time entrusted to us and whether our daily choices reflect trust in the Lord.

Our first reading from Genesis takes us back to the beginning and reveals the goodness of God’s original design. Out of love, God formed humanity, breathed life into us, and placed Adam and Eve in a garden rich with beauty and abundance. Their life with God was marked by trust, gratitude, and attentiveness to His presence. Time itself was a gift — ordered around relationship with the Creator.

That harmony was disrupted when doubt entered their hearts. Tempted by the serpent, Adam and Eve questioned God’s goodness and turned their attention away from Him. In that moment, they chose their own judgment over God’s word. This same temptation remains familiar to us. When our time becomes filled with distractions, busyness, or self-reliance, it becomes easier to lose sight of God’s presence and purposes in our lives.

In our second reading, St. Paul reminds us that God did not abandon humanity to this broken pattern. While disobedience led to sin and separation, obedience leads to restoration. Through Jesus Christ — the new Adam — God offers mercy, healing, and new life. Conversion is possible because grace is given. Lent invites us to slow down long enough to receive that grace and allow it to reshape how we live.

The Gospel then shows us what faithful stewardship looks like in practice. Jesus enters the desert, fasts for 40 days, and confronts temptation directly. He does not rush past this time of testing or seek to escape it. Instead, He remains rooted in Scripture and attentive to the Father’s will. By giving time to prayer, silence, and trust, Jesus reveals that spiritual strength grows where time is intentionally placed in God’s hands.

Lent invites us to follow this same path. It is a season to examine whether our schedules leave room for prayer, Scripture, and quiet attentiveness to God. This may require setting aside certain distractions or habits so that time can be reclaimed for what matters most. When we intentionally place God at the center of our days, gratitude deepens, trust grows, and stewardship becomes a way of life.

By embracing these 40 days with purpose, we prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter renewed, restored, and ready to live more fully as disciples of Christ.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 22nd February 2026

First reading

Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7

The Creation, and the sin of our first parents

    The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.

    The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.

    Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

The Word of The Lord

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

    In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

    and cleanse me from my sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;

    my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

    what is evil in your sight I have done.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

    put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

    nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of your help;

    with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips

    and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

________

Second reading

Romans 5:12,17-19 ·

However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

The Word of The Lord 

________

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

________

Gospel

Matthew 4:1-11

The temptation in the wilderness

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

Man does not live on bread alone

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

He will put you in his angels’ charge,

and they will support you on their hands

in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God,

and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

The Gospel of The Lord 

Mass Reading: 9th March 2025

First reading
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
The creed of the Chosen People

    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.’

The word of the Lord.

________

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
The creed of the Christian

    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.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

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

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

________

Gospel
Luke 4:1-13
The temptation in the wilderness

    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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 9th March 2025

 

DT 26: 4-10; PS 91:1-2, 10-15; ROM 10: 8-13; LK 4: 1-13

And so, it begins — the holy and, for some, daunting, season of Lent. This is the season in our liturgical year when the Church encourages us to increase our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to enter more deeply into the mystery of our Lord’s Passion and Death and to celebrate more fully His Resurrection. Our outlook as Christian stewards can help us embrace this season with enthusiasm and even joy.

The First Reading, from Deuteronomy, presents a beautiful and positive way to approach Lent. The passage begins with Moses speaking to the people. He reminds them that the Lord saw their affliction and responded mercifully to their cry by delivering them from oppression in Egypt, and by bringing them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses teaches the people how they should respond to such a wonderful God. He instructs them to approach the Lord with these words: “Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given me.” In other words, Moses teaches the people to respond as grateful stewards for all that God has done for them.

As grateful stewards ourselves, we can look at these 40 days as “soil” that God is giving us as a gift to grow closer to Him and become more like Him. We can choose to use each of these days intentionally to make a generous response to our God, who sent His own Son to deliver us from the affliction and oppression caused by sin.

Jesus, by His own example in today’s Gospel, demonstrates the necessity of setting aside a period devoted especially to prayer and fasting as a means of strengthening our spiritual muscles. Just before the launch of His public ministry, He is “led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” In imitation of Jesus, we should ask the Holy Spirit to lead us into the desert, too — the desert of our interior lives where our thoughts and desires reside.

While our Lord was strong enough to withstand the temptations of the devil on His own, we most certainly are not! We must turn to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to show us where we need to grow interiorly and then rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance throughout these forty days of growth.

We may discover we are weak in our knowledge of the faith and can devote these Lenten days to spiritual reading or Bible study. We may discover our prayer life has gone by the wayside, and we must discipline ourselves anew and commit to a regular, daily time for prayer. Perhaps we have given in to selfishness and comfort-seeking and we can determine to give up our favorite coffee drink or social media “fix” and find a project that serves the poor in our community.

If these spiritual exercises hurt a little, that means we are doing them right! It means we will have some wonderful “first fruits” to present to our Lord at the close of this season; we will be prepared to enter the grace-filled days of the Triduum, and we will, through the power of the Holy Spirit, be resurrected as a new creation with our Lord come Easter. Let us begin!

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 18th February 2024

 GN 9:8-15; PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 PT 3:18-22; MK 1:12-15

 

As we celebrate our first Sunday of Lent, our readings today remind us why we partake in this 40-day Lenten journey — to prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Christ on the glorious Easter morning.
 
Many times throughout Scripture, God presents great blessings after 40 days of purification. We see an example of this in our First Reading from Genesis. In the story of Noah and the flood, Noah preserves his family and animals on an ark for 40 days and 40 nights. There is no doubt that this journey was filled with a great deal of sacrifice and prayer as those days dragged on and the earth was swallowed up by waters. Yet, after that time of trial, Noah and his family received a covenant from the Lord. God says, “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you… that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood.” And the sign of this covenant between God and man is a rainbow, “When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between men and you and all living beings.” Without the 40-day journey in the ark, Noah would not have been able to receive this covenant with a grateful heart. God presents great blessings to those who are prepared to receive them. 
 
St. Peter reminds us in our Second Reading of the many blessings we receive from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. He proclaims, “Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous that he might lead you to God.” And again, “[Baptism] is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” These are the many blessings God has shared with us through the gift of His Son. 
 
To receive the blessings more readily from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, we too are called to endure 40 days “in the desert.” In our Gospel from St. Mark, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus was called to face trials and to confront evil. During this time, He committed to intense prayer and fasting. It was not necessary for Jesus to go into the desert so that He might be purified. But it was necessary for Him to go into the desert to endure the temptations of man for our sake. He was fully man, and experienced temptations just like us, yet responded to them perfectly, never falling into sin. Once He was finished, He began proclaiming the Gospel, saying, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Good News of Jesus Christ was announced. 
 
We should strive to fully participate in this Lenten season by mirroring Jesus, the model steward by Whom we are called to imitate. Through our time in the desert, we will confront evil by weeding out the roots of sin in our lives through fasting. And we will be sustained and nourished in the desert by prayer. If we willingly choose to spend this Lent like Jesus, we will be ready to receive the glorious gift of Himself and partake in the riches that pour forth from that Gift. 
 
Let us strive to purify our hearts for the remainder of these 40 days so that we might be ready to receive all that God plans to bless us with on Easter. 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 06th March 2022

 

And so, it begins — the holy and, for some, daunting, season of Lent. This is the season in our liturgical year when the Church encourages us to increase our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to enter more deeply into the mystery of our Lord’s Passion and Death and to celebrate more fully His Resurrection. Our outlook as Christian stewards can help us embrace this season with enthusiasm and even joy.

The First Reading, from Deuteronomy, presents a beautiful and positive way to approach Lent. The passage begins with Moses speaking to the people. He reminds them that the Lord saw their affliction and responded mercifully to their cry by delivering them from oppression in Egypt, and by bringing them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses teaches the people how they should respond to such a wonderful God. He instructs them to approach the Lord with these words: “Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given me.” In other words, Moses teaches the people to respond as grateful stewards for all that God has done for them.

As grateful stewards ourselves, we can look at these 40 days as “soil” that God is giving us as a gift to grow closer to Him and become more like Him. We can choose to use each of these days intentionally to make a generous response to our God, who sent His own Son to deliver us from the affliction and oppression caused by sin. 

Jesus, by His own example in today’s Gospel, demonstrates the necessity of setting aside a period devoted especially to prayer and fasting as a means of strengthening our spiritual muscles. Just before the launch of His public ministry, He is “led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” In imitation of Jesus, we should ask the Holy Spirit to lead us into the desert, too — the desert of our interior lives where our thoughts and desires reside.

While our Lord was strong enough to withstand the temptations of the devil on His own, we most certainly are not! We must turn to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to show us where we need to grow interiorly and then rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance throughout these forty days of growth.

We may discover we are weak in our knowledge of the faith and can devote these Lenten days to spiritual reading or Bible study. We may discover our prayer life has gone by the wayside and we must discipline ourselves anew and commit to a regular, daily time for prayer. Perhaps we have given in to selfishness and comfort-seeking and we can determine to give up our favorite coffee drink or social media “fix” and find a project that serves the poor in our community. 

If these spiritual exercises hurt a little, that means we are doing them right!  It means we will have some wonderful “first fruits” to present to our Lord at the close of this season; we will be prepared to enter into the grace-filled days of the Triduum and we will, through the power of the Holy Spirit, be resurrected as a new creation with our Lord come Easter. Let us begin!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 06th March 2022

The Liturgy of the Word

First reading
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
The creed of the Chosen People

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.’

The word of the Lord.

___________

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
The creed of the Christian

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.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

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

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

_______

Gospel
Luke 4:1-13
The temptation in the wilderness

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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday, 21st February 2021

First reading   Genesis 9:8-15 ·

'There shall be no flood to destroy the earth again'

God spoke to Noah and his sons, ‘See, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; also with every living creature to be found with you, birds, cattle and every wild beast with you: everything that came out of the ark, everything that lives on the earth. I establish my Covenant with you: no thing of flesh shall be swept away again by the waters of the flood. There shall be no flood to destroy the earth again.’

  God said, ‘Here is the sign of the Covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all generations: I set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and the earth. When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the Covenant between myself and you and every living creature of every kind. And so the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all things of flesh.’

The word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 24(25):4-6,7b-9

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Lord, make me know your ways.
  Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
  for you are God my saviour.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Remember your mercy, Lord,
  and the love you have shown from of old.
In your love remember me,
  because of your goodness, O Lord.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

The Lord is good and upright.
  He shows the path to those who stray,
He guides the humble in the right path,
  He teaches his way to the poor.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Second reading       1 Peter 3:18-22 ·

The water on which the Ark floated is a type of the baptism which saves you now

Christ himself, innocent though he was, died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life, and, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison. Now it was long ago, when Noah was still building that ark which saved only a small group of eight people ‘by water’, and when God was still waiting patiently, that these spirits refused to believe. That water is a type of the baptism which saves you now, and which is not the washing off of physical dirt but a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and Dominations and Powers his subjects.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation     Mt 4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

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

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel      Mark 1:12-15

Jesus was tempted by Satan, and the angels looked after him

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him.

  After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday, 21st February 2021

 GN 9:8-15; PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 PT 3:18-22; MK 1:12-15

As we celebrate our first Sunday of Lent, our readings today remind us why we partake in this 40-day Lenten journey — to prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Christ on the glorious Easter morning.

 
Many times throughout Scripture, God presents great blessings after 40 days of purification. We see an example of this in our First Reading from Genesis. In the story of Noah and the flood, Noah preserves his family and animals on an ark for 40 days and 40 nights. There is no doubt that this journey was filled with a great deal of sacrifice and prayer as those days dragged on and the earth was swallowed up by waters. Yet, after that time of trial, Noah and his family received a covenant from the Lord. God says, “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you… that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood.” And the sign of this covenant between God and man is a rainbow, “When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between men and you and all living beings.” Without the 40-day journey in the ark, Noah would not have been able to receive this covenant with a grateful heart. God presents great blessings to those who are prepared to receive them. 
 
St. Peter reminds us in our Second Reading of the many blessings we receive from Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. He proclaims, “Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous that he might lead you to God.” And again, “[Baptism] is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” These are the many blessings God has shared with us through the gift of His Son. 
 
In order to more readily receive the blessings from Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, we too are called endure 40 days “in the desert.” In our Gospel from St. Mark, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus was called to face trials and to confront evil. During this time, He committed to intense prayer and fasting. It was not necessary for Jesus to go into the desert so that He might be purified. But it was necessary for Him to go into the desert to endure temptations of man for our sake. He was fully man, and experience temptations just like us, yet responded to them perfectly, never falling into sin. Once He was finished, He began proclaiming the Gospel, saying, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Good News of Jesus Christ was announced. 
 
We should strive to fully participate in this Lenten season by mirroring Jesus, the model steward by Whom we are called to imitate. Through our time in the desert, we will confront evil by weeding out the roots of sin in our lives through fasting. And we will be sustained and nourished in the desert by prayer. If we willingly choose to spend this Lent like Jesus, we will be ready to receive the glorious gift of Himself and partake in the riches that pour forth from that Gift. 
 
Let us strive to purify our hearts for the remainder of these 40 days so that we might be ready to receive all that God plans to bless us with on Easter. 

Mass Readings - Sunday, 01st March 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Genesis    2:7-9 3:1-7
The creation and sin of our first parents.

The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed
into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and
there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to
spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and
good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil in the middle of the garden.
The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that Yahweh
God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were
not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman
answered the serpent, ‘We may eat he fruit of the trees in the
garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God
said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death”.’ Then
the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in
fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will
be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree
was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable
for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and
ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he
ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised
that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make
themselves loin-cloths.

The Word of the Lord


Responsorial Psalm    Ps 50

Response:    Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1. Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

2. My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned:
what is evil in your sight I have done.

3 . A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

4. Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.



SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to Romans    5:12-19
However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and
thus death has spread through the whole human race because
everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law
was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of
the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to
Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter
of breaking a law.
Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably
outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so
many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming
through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an
abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of
one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a
verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its
verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone
as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that
one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who
receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made
righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on
everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and
makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were
made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made
righteous.

The Word of the Lord.


Gospel Acclamation     Mt 4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God.
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!



GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew    4:1-11
Jesus fasts for forty days and is tempted.

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he
was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are
the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves’. But he replied,
‘Scripture says: ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every
word that comes from the mouth of God’.
The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the
parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw
yourself down; for scripture says: ‘He will put you in his angels’
charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you hurt
your foot against a stone’.
Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says: ‘You must not put the Lord your
God to the test’.
Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all
these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus
replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says: ‘You must worship the Lord
your God, and serve him alone.’
Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Readings - Sunday, 10th March 2019

Mass Readings
Liturgical Readings for :
Sunday, 10th March, 2019

Today's Readings
Léachtaí Gaeilge

FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 26: 4-10
The creed of the chosen people.

Moses said to the people: ‘The priest shall then 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.’

The Word of the Lord


Responsorial Psalm Ps 90 
Response: Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

1. 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!’

Response

2. 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.

Response

3. 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.

Response

4. His love he set on me, so 1 will rescue him protect him for he knows my name.
When he calls 1 shall answer: ‘I am with you.’ I will save him in distress and give him glory.

Response


SECOND READING 
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 10: 8-13
The creed of the Christian. 

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.

The Word of the Lord 


Gospel Acclamation Mt 4:4 
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
Man does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!


GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 4:1-13
Jesus was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there. 

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.

The Gospel of the Lord