Daily Mass Readings for February 22, 2026

Liturgical Day: First Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” 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.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Response: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression. 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. And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act, acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous.

Alleluia: Matthew 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

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. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 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.

When I read about Jesus in the desert, facing down the devil after forty days of nothing but hunger and prayer, it strikes me deep in the bone-weary parts of my day. Here's this guy, the Son of God, led by the Spirit into a barren place to be tested—turn stones to bread, jump from the temple, bow down for power. And he bats them away with Scripture, simple as that. "Man doesn't live on bread alone," he says, echoing the alleluia. It's like he's showing us how to handle the everyday devils that whisper in our ears, promising easy outs that lead nowhere good. That ties right back to the Genesis story, where Adam and Eve get tricked by the serpent into thinking a bite of fruit will make them like gods. They grab for knowledge, for control, and end up hiding in shame, stitching fig leaves to cover their nakedness. It's the first big fall, the one that lets sin and death sneak into the world, as Paul explains in Romans. One man's disobedience drags us all down, but Christ's obedience lifts us up with grace that overflows, turning condemnation into life.

This hits me in the quiet moments after a long shift staring at healthcare data, when my eyes are blurry from screens and my back aches from the chair. Temptation creeps in subtle—skip the family dinner to catch up on emails, or snap at the kids because the dog's barking and the aquarium filter's humming too loud. It's that serpent voice saying, "Just this once, it'll make things easier." But like Adam and Eve, it leaves you feeling exposed, regretting the choice. Paul reminds us it's not just personal; that original sin ripples out, affecting everyone. Death reigns from Adam to us, but Jesus' one act of righteousness brings acquittal, justification, life. It's hope for a tired dad like me, knowing my small falls are covered by his big yes to the Father. The psalm captures that plea perfectly—"Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned." I acknowledge my offenses, like when I let work stress spill over into home, sinning against God and family. "Create a clean heart in me," it says, renew my spirit, don't cast me out. That's Lent for you—forty days to fast from the junk, pray for strength, give alms to rebuild what's broken.

Thinking on Jesus' temptations, the first one's about bread after fasting. He's hungry, real human hunger, and the devil says, "If you're the Son of God, fix it." But Jesus quotes Deuteronomy: live on God's word. In my life, that's the pull to fill up on quick fixes—grab a snack instead of praying, scroll the phone to unwind rather than read the Bible with the kids. Bread alone doesn't cut it; we need that word from God's mouth to sustain us. I've felt it on runs, pounding pavement early morning, legs burning, but pushing through because it's discipline, like Jesus' fast. It clears the head, makes space for God's voice over the noise. Then the second temptation—throw yourself down, let angels catch you. Testing God, twisting Scripture to demand proof. How often do I do that? "God, if you're real, fix this mess now." But Jesus says don't put the Lord to the test. Trust without the spectacle. With the dog getting into trash or kids fighting over toys, it's tempting to demand instant peace, but faith means steady patience, not magic shows.

The third one, up on the mountain, all kingdoms offered for worship. Power, control, the world at your feet—if you bow to the wrong thing. That's the big one in modern life, idolizing work success or material stuff over God. In healthcare, data can feel like power—numbers that predict trends, save lives indirectly—but chasing promotions or overtime can become worship. Jesus cuts it short: Worship God alone, serve him. Get away, Satan. And after, angels minister to him. Victory comes with help from above. Paul contrasts this with Adam's fall—one disobedience makes us sinners, one obedience makes us righteous. Grace overflows for the many, after many transgressions. It's comforting; no matter how many times I slip, Christ's act covers it. The psalm begs for that joy of salvation back, a willing spirit. Open my lips to praise, not complain.

Lent's our desert time, forty days to face temptations head-on. Like Jesus, led by the Spirit—not dragged kicking, but willingly. Fast, pray, give. In Genesis, the garden's perfect until the bite; we long for that tree of life again. Through Christ, we get it—eternal life over death. Paul's shorter version hammers it: Sin through one, death to all; grace through one, life to all. Simple math of mercy. The alleluia ties it—bread alone no, God's word yes. Feed on that in Mass, in daily reading. For me, it's grabbing the Bible after feeding the fish, before the chaos starts. Kids see it, learn it. Running helps too, rhythm of feet like prayer beads, resisting the quit voice.

This all connects to being a dad—teaching kids right from wrong, but showing mercy when they mess up, like God does. One fall doesn't define; obedience redeems. In work, integrity over shortcuts. Home, patience over anger. God's asking us to choose life, resist the serpent, follow Christ's lead. Mercy for sins, clean heart, overflowing grace. Steady through tiredness.

Today's invitation: When a temptation pops up today—like losing patience with the kids—pause, recall a Scripture like "worship God alone," and choose the obedient path instead. Lord, create that clean heart; sustain me in the desert. Amen.