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February 17, 2013

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First Sunday of Lent 
Lectionary: 24

Reading 1DT 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.”

Moses instructed the people of Israel how they should behave when they receive the land God promised them.  They should be thankful and offer to the Lord their first fruits in proof of their thankfulness.  And then they should recite the history of God's intervention on their behalf to show that they understood what God had done for them.

Responsorial PsalmPS 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.

Lord, when I am in trouble, protect me.
You who believe in God, say to God, "You are my protector."

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.

If you do so, you will be save from all evil.  For God will send His angels to protect you.

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.

And they will carry you to safety and protect you from all dangers.

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.

"I will protect him,"  says the Lord, "because he calls upon me and relies upon me I shall save him."

Reading 2ROM 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.

Brothers and sisters, the religion which we preach to you is nearby.  It is not far away.  First accept Jesus and obey His commands, then believe that Jesus is raised from the dead and you will also receive eternal life.

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.”

There is no difference now in Christ Jesus.  Every Jew who obeys Christ and every Gentile who obeys Christ will be saved.  

GospelLK 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.

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert in order that Satan might tempt Him to commit sin.

He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.

He fasted during those days and at the end of the 40 days, He needed to eat.

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.”

The devil then tried to tempt Jesus to make stone into bread.  But Jesus would rather go without eating than to obey the command of the Enemy. So Jesus said, "One does not live by 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 the devil said to Jesus, "I am the Prince of the world.  It all belongs to me. But I will give it to you if you do me homage as you would God."  But Jesus said, "Only God must be worshipped.  Only God will I 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.”

Then Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and said, "Jump!  For God won't let you be injured."  But Jesus said, "It is written, you shall not put God to the test."

When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.

Then after the devil had enough of trying to tempt Him, he left Jesus for a time.