Sunday Readings for February 21-22, First Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Edward Looney | For On Mission
With our Lenten observance underway, we have begun the familiar practices of prayer, penance, and almsgiving. In his first message for Lent, Pope Leo XIV invited us to consider another path for this sacred season, highlighting the power of the Word of God and offering three key foci: listening, fasting, and togetherness.
Each year, on the First Sunday of Lent, the Church places before us the Gospel of Christ’s temptation in the desert. In this biblical scene, we see Jesus modeling fasting and revealing his deep familiarity with Sacred Scripture. When tempted by the devil, Jesus responds not with his own words, but with the Word of God.
In his Lenten message, Pope Leo writes:
“Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it, and the transformation it brings about.”
Lent is, at its heart, a season of conversion. We were reminded of this in last weekend’s Scripture readings, which called us to choose fidelity to God’s commandments. When we read Scripture, the text begins to speak to our hearts and souls. It invites us to live what we have read, and that means leaving behind our old selves.
When Jesus faced the devil, Satan tried to distort the truth of God. But Jesus exposed the lie and corrected it with Scripture. If we wish to embark on the path of conversion that Pope Leo invites us to, we too must allow the Word of God to touch our hearts. That means making Scripture a priority in our lives — by reading it, praying with it, and reflecting on it.
Just as the devil tempted Jesus, he will also tempt us. When the devil tempts us to belittle others, Scripture reminds us to speak only words that build up (Eph 4:29). When we are tempted to hold a grudge, Jesus calls us to seek reconciliation (Mt 5:23–24). And when the devil tries to convince us that we are not worthy of God’s love, Scripture tells us: “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
The Word of God has an answer for every lie and every temptation of the devil. Read his Word so that you may know it. Know it so that you may believe it. And believe it so that it may transform your life.
The readings for Sunday, February 22, can be found at First Sunday of Lent | USCCB.
Fr. Edward Looney serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawano. He is an author and podcaster, with a presence on various social media platforms under the handle @FrEdwardLooney.