As we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect on the reality of temptation, sin, and God’s saving grace. In the first reading from the Book of Genesis, we are reminded that God created humanity in goodness and perfection. From the very beginning, God desired the best for us. As the prophet Isaiah tells us in 43:7, God created us for Himself and for His glory. We were made to live in communion with Him.
However, the harmony of creation was disrupted by the deception of the tempter. Satan, whose mission according to Jesus is to steal, kill, and destroy, approached our first parents—Adam and Eve—and tempted them to distrust God and disobey His command. Through that disobedience, sin entered the world.
In the second reading, Paul the Apostle explains this reality in his letter to the Letter to the Romans. He reminds us that through the disobedience of one man, sin came into the world, and through sin came death. Because of this, death spread to all people since all have sinned.
But thanks be to God, the story of humanity does not end with sin and death. God did not abandon His creation. As St. Paul continues, just as one man’s trespass brought condemnation to all, so the righteous act of one man brings justification and life for all. That one man is Jesus Christ. Through His obedience, humanity is offered redemption and new life.
Yet, the fact that we have been redeemed does not mean that the tempter has disappeared. Satan is still very much active, still seeking to lead people away from God. He continues to tempt us, trying to make us fall from grace or, in a sense, to eat the “forbidden fruit” again.
This is why the Gospel for today is so important. In the account of the temptation of Jesus, we see how the Lord Himself confronts and overcomes the devil.
After His baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days. At a moment of physical hunger and weakness, Satan approached Him. Knowing that the Father had declared Jesus to be His beloved Son, the devil tried to sow doubt in His mind. He said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
This temptation was not merely about hunger or about demonstrating power. It was really about identity. Satan was trying to make Jesus question who He truly is.
And this is often how the devil works in our own lives. In moments of hardship, loneliness, or suffering, he whispers similar questions to us: Are you really a child of God? If God truly loves you, why are you facing these problems? Why are you struggling?
But Jesus did not fall into that trap. He responded firmly by standing on the Word of God: “It is written: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
The devil did not stop there. He took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and again tried to manipulate Him, even quoting Scripture in an attempt to justify the temptation. He told Jesus to throw Himself down, saying that angels would protect Him.
Here we see another tactic of the enemy. Satan not only tempts us to doubt our identity; he also tries to twist and distort the Word of God. He raises questions that shake our confidence in God’s promises. For example: If God is our healer, why do we still fall sick? If God is the author of life, why do people still die?
Questions like these can confuse many people and cause them to doubt their faith. Sometimes people begin to compromise their beliefs or chase after things that appear attractive or powerful, like the splendour that Satan showed Jesus during the third temptation.
But Jesus again responded with the truth of Scripture: “It is written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” In every temptation, Jesus remained rooted in the Word of God.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lenten journey we begin today is a journey of renewal and rediscovery. It is a time to rediscover who we truly are in Christ. In a world that is constantly changing and often confusing, we must hold firmly to the Word of God.
Jesus reminds us that heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away.
Lent is therefore a precious opportunity that the Church offers us each year. It is a time to return to God with sincere hearts. Through prayer, fasting, and charity, we are invited to deepen our relationship with Him, to resist temptation, and to embrace once again the forgiveness and redemption we have in Christ.May this season of Lent help us to stand firm in our identity as children of God, to trust in His Word, and to walk faithfully in the path that leads to life. Amen.