First Sunday of Lent (Year C)

First Reading - Deuteronomy 26.4-10

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy. When the priest takes your harvest offering of the first-fruits of the land, and places it before the altar of the Lord your God, there you shall say: ‘My ancestors were homeless travellers from Aram. Few in number, we lived in Egypt, as foreigners. There, we grew in number, and in strength, to become a great nation. But the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, imposing hard labour upon us. We cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice, and looked upon our affliction, our toil and oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt, with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, and acts of great power, and brought us to this place, and gave us this land, a land rich with milk and honey. So now I bring to you, O Lord, the first-fruits of the harvest of the land that you have given to me.’ And you shall bow down before the Lord your God. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 10.8-13

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. Scripture says: ‘The word is near to you; it is on your lips, and it is in your heart’. And this is now the word of faith that we proclaim - that if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Scripture also declares that no one believing in the Lord will be put to shame. And in this, there is no distinction between the descendants of Jacob and all the other people of the world. For the same Lord is Lord of all, and is gracious to all. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Luke 4.1-13a

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from his baptism in the river Jordan, and was led, by the Spirit, into the wilderness. There, for forty days, he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and while he was experiencing great hunger, the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘The scripture says, “Life is not sustained by bread alone.”’ Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and showed him, in one instant, all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘I can give you the glory and the power of all these kingdoms. If you will worship me, they will all be yours.’ Jesus answered, ‘The scripture says, “Worship and serve the Lord your God, and no other.”’ Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, and placed him on the highest point of the temple, saying, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for the scripture says, “The Lord Most High will send angels to protect you, to raise you up in their hands, so that you will not even hurt your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus answered, ‘The scripture also says, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ And having completed all these temptations, the devil departed from Jesus until an opportune time. This is the Gospel of the Lord.