Resources, Prayers, Games, and Lesson Plans
More Thoughts and Reflection Questions
Mass Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
- First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7: "But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.”"
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51: "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."
- Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19: "For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many."
- Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11: "At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry."
Themes for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
The readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A get us thinking about sin and temptation.
The first reading recounts the story of how Adam and Eve turned away from God. The psalm is a repentant appeal to the goodness of God. The second reading reminds us that even though we are sinners, we are saved through the obedience of Jesus Christ. And the gospel tells us how Jesus went to the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and resisted the temptations of Satan.
- Our Lenten plans
- Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving
- Temptations
- The misuse of power
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the1st Sunday of Lent Year A.
Resources, Prayers, Games, and Lesson Plans for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
In the Desert – A Lesson Plan on Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving
This In the Desert lesson plan on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving will help youth understand the connection between the temptation of Jesus in the desert and Lenten focus on spirituality, sacrifice, and service. Youth will come to understand why we give things up for Lent. This focuses on the gospel for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year C.
Fasting and Feasting Prayer
This fasting and feasting prayer can be found in many variations. It suggests something to fast from and then an alternative to feast upon. We don’t give something up to make ourselves suffer. We give things up for Lent to make room for something better.
Could You Give It Up Game
Could You Give It Up is a Lenten variation of the Ten Fingers game. Youth must try to outwit each other by guessing what they would give up for Lent which the others would not.
Lenten Ideas for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
Fast on a Day Other Than Ash Wednesday or Good Friday
Catholics are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Adding another day of fasting is a way of practicing an additional sacrifice during Lent. You can decide to fast one day per week. (Friday would be a traditional choice for this.) Or you can just fast a single day or a few days of your choosing.
Make a Gratitude List Every Day and Pray with It
Gratitude can be one of the most fruitful forms of prayer. When we specifically notice things to be grateful for, we become aware of and acknowledge God's constant presence in our lives. Practicing gratitude daily is a practice which can change your whole attitude and it doesn't
Abstain from Meat on a Day in Addition to Friday
Fasting is one of the traditional Catholic Lenten practices. All Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent as a form of fasting. For personal fasting, you can choose to voluntarily abstain from meat one more day during the week.
Make an Offering Box
Lent is a beautiful opportunity to offer ourselves to our Lord. An offering box is a tangible way to make our offerings. It can be used for many different types of offerings
See More Lenten Ideas
See specific ideas for practicing prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.
Homilies and Reflections for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
Time to Get Back to Basics
A homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A from Bishop Robert Barron. "Friends, we come now to the holy season of Lent, our preparation for Easter. I’ve often said that Lent is a time to get back to basics. It’s like when you’re starting the football season and have to get back to fundamentals of the game, or when you’re getting back to playing golf after a long winter away and have to remember the fundamentals of the swing. So in the spiritual order there are certain fundamental truths, and the readings for this first Sunday of Lent are especially good at getting us in touch with them."
Return to Me
In this reflection for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A, Fr. John Burns explains the significance of the temptation of Jesus in the desert and how we can learn from Jesus’s example of confronting the devil. In each of the three temptations of Christ, we see the confidence Jesus has in his father—a confidence that we can tap into to overcome temptation in our own lives. How will you overcome temptation and lean into the graces God offers you this Lent?
The Disobedience of Adam and Eve
Another homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A from Bishop Robert Barron. "We enter once more into the very holy season of Lent: a time of preparation; a desert time; a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; a time to return to the basics. And so how wonderful that the Church gives us, for this first Sunday of Lent, a passage from the very beginning of the Bible, a story of universal and enduring significance. We hear of the creation and fall of mankind. But we will not properly understand this epic tale until we see that it has to do with us."
Into the Wilderness
In this reflection for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A, Jeff Cavins explains that today's gospel shows Jesus succeeding where the children of Israel failed. He also reflects on how the enemy attacks Jesus in these temptations. The enemy always tries to get between us and our heavenly Father.
Tale of Two Adams
From Scott Hahn. In the Liturgy for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A, the destiny of the human race is told as the tale of two “types” of men—the first man, Adam, and the new Adam, Jesus. Continue reading.
Temptations Are Attractions to Partial Goods
A homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A from Fr. Richard Rohr. "They are all temptations to the misuse of power for purposes less than God’s purpose. They are sequentially the misuse of practical everyday power, the misuse of religious power, and the misuse of political power." Continue reading.
More Thoughts for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
Matthew 4:1-11: Tempted
Jesus' temptation in the desert is a powerful reminder to us of the importance of resisting temptation and staying faithful to God. In this passage, we see Jesus being tempted by the devil in three different ways. The devil tempts him to turn stones into bread, to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple, and to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world.
In each of these temptations, the devil is trying to get Jesus to turn away from God and to satisfy his own desires. But Jesus resists these temptations by relying on his faith in God and his knowledge of scripture. He tells the devil, "One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God," and "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test," and "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'"
As Catholics, we face temptations in our own lives every day. We are tempted to prioritize our own desires and needs over the needs of others. We are tempted to turn away from God and to seek fulfillment in material possessions or other worldly things. But like Jesus, we are called to resist these temptations and to stay faithful to God.
Rely on Prayer and Scripture
This passage also reminds us of the importance of prayer and scripture in our lives. Jesus relied on his faith in God and his knowledge of scripture to resist the devil's temptations. As Catholics, we are called to deepen our relationship with God through prayer and to study scripture as a way of growing in our faith.
A Denial of Reality
The temptations in the desert can be considered in different ways. Some have offered that they represent the temptations of thinking that we will never want (bread) , we will never suffer (the angels will rescue you), and we will control our destiny (we can gain what we desire).
The remedy is prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Almsgiving frees us to give away our goods, trusting that God will provide for our needs. Fasting unites our suffering with the suffering of others. And prayer helps us place our destiny in God's hands.
We Are Not Alone
Matthew 4:1-11 reminds us of the power of God's love and mercy. Jesus resisted the devil's temptations and remained faithful to God, but we know that we will inevitably fall short at times. But no matter how far we may stray from God, we can always turn back to him and experience his love and mercy.
The 1st Sunday of Lent Year A is also a good time to remember that we have some superheroes called saints on our side. We can ask them to pray for us when we feel like giving into temptation.
Reflection Questions for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
- How am I going to try to grow this Lent?
- How will I use this time to resist the temptations in my life?
- Is there a saintly superhero I can call on who is a good example for me?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for the 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
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