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22/02/2026

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
MASS FOR THE RITE OF ELECTION 2026

21/02/2026

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, Gospel Reading (Matthew 4:1 - 11)

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.

Reflection
In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus has just emerged from the waters of the Jordan. He has been named and claimed as God’s beloved Son. Almost immediately, the Spirit leads him into the wilderness—a place of testing, clarity, and truth. Wilderness is not a punishment, but a space where what truly matters is revealed.

There, Jesus encounters temptation. These moments are not simply about resisting evil, but about discerning the shape of his mission and the way he will live out his identity as the long-awaited Messiah. At every turn, Jesus listens attentively—not to the voice that seeks to distract or distort—but to the voice of God. Guided by the Spirit, he remains grounded in the truth of God’s Word.

Each temptation speaks to a deeper question: What kind of Messiah will Jesus be? The temptations are subtle and persuasive, appearing reasonable, and even helpful. Like many of the choices we face, they promise quick solutions, recognition, or power for good ends.

First, Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread. After forty days of fasting, this seems entirely justified. Yet Jesus discerns that his life is not sustained by meeting immediate needs alone, but by trusting fully in God. He chooses dependence over self-sufficiency, reminding us that our deepest hunger is for communion with God.
Next, Jesus is goaded into throwing himself from the parapet, trusting that God will save him. This temptation invites spectacle and certainty. Jesus recognises it as a demand that God prove himself. Listening to the Spirit, he refuses to manipulate God for reassurance. He understands that faith will lead him not to public acclaim, but ultimately, to rejection, derision, and the Cross.

Finally, Jesus is offered power and authority over all the kingdoms of the world. The promise is immediate and seductive. Yet Jesus discerns that true authority comes only through loving obedience to God. His kingship will not dominate or coerce but serve and give life. He chooses the long, faithful path that leads through suffering to the Resurrection.

Emerging from the wilderness, Jesus’ mission is set. Though he is the Son of God, he does not step outside the human story. Instead, he enters it fully - embracing vulnerability, suffering, and ultimately death. This is the pattern of divine love.

As disciples connected in Christ, this Gospel speaks directly to our own journey. Following Jesus does not promise an easy or comfortable path. Lent reminds us that the way of discipleship involves the Cross before the Resurrection. Yet we do not walk this path alone. The same Spirit who led Jesus in the wilderness dwells within us and among us as the Body of Christ.

God continues to speak—to our hearts in prayer, through the Scriptures, in the wisdom of the community, and in the quiet stirrings of the Holy Spirit.

During our own wilderness moments, we are called to remain connected to Christ and to one another; to listen deeply for the Spirit’s guidance, drawing our strength, direction, and hope from Jesus, who shows us the way to new life.

19/02/2026

Lent is a time to RECONNECT

14/02/2026

READINGS : SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

FIRST READING
Sir 15:15-20

A reading from the Book of Sirach

If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

℟. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.

℟. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!

℟. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.

℟. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.

℟. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Second Reading
SECOND READING
1 Cor 2:6-10

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
ACCLAMATION BEFORE THE GOSPEL
cf. Mt 11:25

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
GOSPEL
Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with brother
will be liable to judgment;
and whoever says to brother, ‘Raqa,’
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’
will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife—unless the marriage is unlawful—
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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