First Sunday During Lent: A Roadmap For The Next Forty days

Sunday, 22 February 2026

We all know that there are times we listen to the readings at Mass and are left feeling a little confused, as they can sometimes be so obscure that we’re left wondering what exactly God is trying to tell us! The opposite is true today though, as the first Sunday of Lent kicks off with a clear and unmistakable message.

Jesus’s temptation in the desert contrasted with Adam’s disobedience.

The garden versus the desert.

God’s will versus our own.

Forty days in the desert and forty days of Lent.

Viewed through the lens of our busy lives, these readings offer us a roadmap for the upcoming six weeks, and beyond. These passages illuminate the path of transformation that Lent invites us to embark upon, guiding us to align more closely with God’s will in our daily lives, rather than relying on our own.

In St Paul’s letter to the Romans he takes us all the way back to Genesis, to the garden of Eden. There, we’re reminded that Adam’s choice to give into sin is still alive and well in all of us. He sought the quicker, easier shortcut, allowing his pride and ego to triumph, which ultimately led to a decision that changed everything.

In Matthew’s Gospel reading Jesus faces three temptations from the devil. Each temptation targets a fundamental aspect of human weakness: the desire for physical satisfaction, the lure of power, and the testing of God’s faithfulness. Jesus resists each temptation by anchoring himself in God’s Word, revealing to us that it’s in the desert that our true identity is forged.

This passage serves as a powerful reminder of Jesus’ total obedience to the Father and His triumph over sin. During Lent, we’re called to imitate Christ’s steadfastness in the face of our own temptations, relying on prayer, fasting, and Scripture as sources of strength and guidance. How do we resist the temptations we face daily, and how can we deepen our trust in God’s providence? Through engaging deeply with our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we’re cultivating a heart more closely attuned to God’s voice.

The Gospel calls us to pause and truly reflect on the transformative power of Christ’s obedience compared to our tendency toward sin. Lent is a time of repentance and renewal, where we can recognise our sinfulness, but also embrace the abundance of grace that restores us.

This Lent, may we walk alongside Jesus in the desert, learning from His example, and emerge renewed and strengthened in faith, ready to live out the fullness of God’s grace in our daily lives.