First Sunday of Lent – Year B

First Reading

Genesis 9:8-15

God establishes a covenant with Noah, giving a rainbow as its sign.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 25:4-5,6-7,8-9

A prayer praising God for his covenant

Second Reading

1 Peter 3:18-22

In our baptism, we are saved through Christ’s death and Resurrection.

Gospel Reading

Mark 1:12-15

Jesus is tempted in the desert by Satan.

Background on the Gospel Reading

On the first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading in each Lectionary cycle is about Jesus’ temptation in the desert. This event in the life of Jesus is reported in each of the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—but it is not found in John’s Gospel. This year we read Mark’s account of this event.

Compared to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the details throughout Mark’s narrative are sparse. This is evident in Mark’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Mark tells us only that Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit and that for 40 days he was tempted by Satan. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke explain that Jesus fasted while in the desert, that Satan presented him with three temptations, and that Jesus refused each one, quoting Scripture. Only the Gospels of Matthew and Mark report that angels ministered to Jesus at the end of his time in the desert.

In each of the Synoptic Gospels, the temptation of Jesus follows his baptism by John the Baptist. In Mark’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus went into the desert immediately after his baptism, led by the Spirit. Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee begins after his temptation in the desert. Mark’s Gospel makes a connection between the arrest of John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ preaching about the Kingdom of God is in continuity with the preaching of John the Baptist, but it is also something new. As Jesus announces it, the Kingdom of God is beginning; the time of the fulfillment of God’s promises is here.

The fact that Jesus spent 40 days in the desert is significant. This recalls the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the desert after being led from slavery in Egypt. The prophet Elijah also journeyed in the desert for 40 days and nights, making his way to Horeb, the mountain of God, where he was also attended to by an angel of the Lord.

Remembering the significance of these events, we also set aside 40 days for the season of Lent.

In Mark’s Gospel, the desert marks the beginning of Jesus’ battle with Satan; the ultimate test will be in Jesus’ final hours on the cross. In a similar way, our Lenten observances are only a beginning, a preparation for and a reinforcement of our ongoing struggle to resist the temptations we face in our lives. During Lent, we are led by the Holy Spirit to remember the vows of Baptism in which we promised to reject sin and to follow Jesus. Just as Jesus was ministered to by the angels, God also supports us in our struggle against sin and temptation. We succeed because Jesus conquered sin once and for all in his saving death on the cross.

St. Patrick Day Dinner Dance

It's that time of year again! Come join us on Saturday, March 16 for a lively evening of fun and celebration at St. Patrick's Parish Hall.

This weekend, the Knights of Columbus will be on the patio selling the tickets for the annual St. Patrick's Dinner Dance celebration. The cost is $20 per person or $60 for families of 5 persons. Price includes entry and a great Irish dinner. Beverages are sold separately.

Girl Scout Cookies

Next weekend, St. Patrick School 1st grade girls, Daisy Troop 1069, will sell Girl Scout cookies before and after each Mass. The troop will be on the patio Saturday (Feb. 24) at the 4:30pm Mass and before and after all Sunday (Feb. 25) Masses. Boxes are $6 each and a percentage of each sale benefits their troop and our community. Thank you!

Religious Items for Sale

Beautiful hand-made olive wood religious articles made by Catholic families in Bethlehem and Jerusalem will be on sale on the patio after all the Masses this weekend, February 17-18. Please stop by their tables and take a look at what they offer.

Income for Catholics living in the Holy Land is extremely limited. Because of the war, tourism has been completely shut down and these families have no other way of earning any income.



You can buy beautiful religious objects and at the same time provide livelihood for Catholic families during these difficult times.

Un Saludo de

parte del Diacono Miguel,

“En aquel tiempo, el Espíritu impulsó a Jesús a retirarse al desierto, donde permaneció cuarenta días y fue tentado por Satanás. Vivió allí entre animales salvajes, y los ángeles le servían”. Usemos nuestra imaginación para ver dónde se encontraba Jesús en el Evangelio de este primer domingo de Cuaresma. Primero, ‘el desierto’. ¿Qué imágenes te vienen a la mente cuando piensas en el desierto? No parece un lugar muy atractivo. Un lugar vacío y abandonado, un lugar sin agua y sin nada. Segundo, ‘Jesús es tentado por Satanás por 40 días’. Todos conocemos bien el poder de las tentaciones. Jesús se encuentra a solas con Satanás por 40 días y Satanás está determinado de hacer caer a Jesús. Pero Jesús gana. Tercero, ‘Jesús vivía entre animales salvajes y los ángeles que le servían”. Vivía entre animales salvajes, pero también estaba fortalecido con la presencia de los ángeles que le servían. Jesús le gana a Satanás, resiste la tentación y se mantiene fiel a Dios y cumple su misión cómo nuestro Salvador. Estos 40 días de Cuaresma, ¿cómo podrán ser diferentes para nosotros? Somos llamados a entrar a ‘nuestro desierto’ y mirar esas cosas que hacemos que nos apartan de Dios, de mirar esos ‘animales salvajes’ que enfrentamos todos los días. No miremos nuestro desierto cómo algo negativo, sino más bien, entrar a nuestro desierto con humildad y con una confianza total en Dios, sabiendo que Él está con nosotros. Que Dios también nos manda a sus ángeles para servirnos y ayudarnos. Dios nos ama y allí en ese desierto, que parece ser un lugar de vergüenza y frio, Dios nos habla con una “voz quedita llena de amor y compasión”. ¿Nos atrevemos a escuchar la voz de Dios? Hermana y hermano, tú eres la amada y el amado de Dios, déjate amar por Dios.

Detente

Hablemos del Desierto

3821 Adams Street

Carlsbad, California 92008

760.729.2866