Lectionary Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A

Readings, Responsorial Psalm and Gospel

Reading I, Gn 2, 7-9; 3, 1-7

A Reading from the Book of Genesis
Creation of our first parents, and Sin.

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so
man became a living being.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of
the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that
were delightful to look at and good for food, with the
tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree
of the knowledge of good and bad.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the
trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent:
"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it
is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the
garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even
touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the
woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well
that the moment you eat of it you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw
that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes,
and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of
of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her
husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the
eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized
that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm, Ps 51, 3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14. 17. R. v. 3

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. R.

2. For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight." R.

3. A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your holy spirit take not from me. R.

4. Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. R.

Reading II, Rom 5, 12-19

A Reading From the Letter of Paul to the Romans
The results of the gift, Jesus Christ, outweigh
one man's sin.

Through one man sin entered the world and with sin death,
death thus coming to all men inasmuch as all sinned - before
the law there was sin in the world, even though sin is not
imputed when there is no law - I say, from Adam to Moses
death reigned, even over those who had not sinned by
breaking a precept as did Adam, that type of the Man to
come.

But the gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense
of the one man all died, much more did the grace of God and
the gracious gift of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound for
all. The gift is entirely different from the sin committed
by the one man. In the first case, sentence followed upon
one offense and brought condemnation, but in the second, the
gift came after many offenses and brought acquittal. If
death began its reign through one man because of his offense,
much more shall those who receive the overflowing grace and
gift of justice live and reign through the one man, Jesus
Christ. To sum up, then: just as a single offense brought
condemnation to all men, a single righteous act brought all
men acquittal and life. Just as through one man's disobedience
all became sinners, so through one man's obedience all shall
become just.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel, Mt 4, 1-11

Verse before the Gospel Mt 4, 4
R. Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth
of God.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus fasted for forty days and nights.

Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to
be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and
forty nights, and afterward was hungry. The tempter
approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to turn into bread."
Jesus replied, "Scripture has it:

'Not on bread alone is man to live
but on every utterance that comes from the mouth
of God.'"

Next the devil took him to the holy city, set
him on the parapet of the temple, and said, "If
you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
Scripture has it:

'He will bid his angels take care of you;
with their hands they will support you
that you may never stumble on a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "Scripture also has it:

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

The devil then took him to a lofty mountain peak
and displayed before him all the kingdoms of the
world in their magnificence, promising, "All
these will I bestow on you if you prostrate
yourself in homage before me." At this, Jesus
said to him, "Away with you, Satan! Scripture
says:

'You shall do homage to the Lord your God;
him alone shall you adore.'"

At that the devil left him, and angels came and
waited on him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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