1st Sunday of Lent Year A 22 February 2026
St Benedict in his Rule reminds us that we are in a fight, that the community is a battle line and that we need weapons. By being human, let alone monastic, we are already in a fight, one that started in the garden of Eden. This First Sunday of Lent takes up that theme. The first reading from Genesis gives us the background, the first battle of Adam and Eve against the serpent and ultimately against God. From then on there is no let up. On Ash Wednesday this was highlighted in the collect when we prayed that we may take up battle against spiritual evils and may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. Lent puts the spotlight on the battle.
In the Gospel from St Matthew we are given the fullest account of Jesus out in the wilderness for forty days where he was alone until the Tempter turned up. Jesus had weapons to fight with and he shows us, his followers, how to use them. When the devil tries to tempt him to provide food for himself Jesus immediately counters with a quotation from the book of Deuteronomy (8:3) – One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Like Jesus, we too have to arm ourselves with scripture but the only way we can do that is by our immersing ourselves in it until it becomes part of us. Thus it will then come readily to hand when needed. The Letter to the Ephesians tells us to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. (6:17) We know that words have power, but the words of God are infinitely more powerful. Jesus in John 6:63 reminds us: The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The word of God is one weapon we can use this Lent. If we are to be familiar enough with the scriptures to have its words readily in our minds and hearts then the word needs to be embedded in the depths of our hearts through reading it, listening to it, pondering on it, praying with it. Many years ago a Cistercian monk told us in a retreat that the Holy Spirit likes a biro! I find copying passages down really makes one focus on the text and it is amazing what you read that you never knew was there. Maybe this Lent it would be a good idea to take one of the Gospels or a book from elsewhere in scripture and read it through – keeping your pencil or biro to hand to note down words or concepts that speak to you.
Pope Francis said somewhere: It is important to know scripture, because otherwise we do not know how to react to the snares of the Evil One. Let us pray today that we will follow Jesus more closely and be filled with the word of God in a new and life-giving way.
Sr Benedicta