OMELIE / Omelie EN

22 feb 2026

22/02/2026 - 1st SUNDAY OF LENT - Year A

22/02/2026 - 1st SUNDAY OF LENT - Year A

1st reading Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7 from Psalm 50 2nd reading Rom 5:12-19 Gospel Mt 4:1-11

A few days ago, we began the season of Lent. The liturgical colour of this period speaks for itself: it is a penitential time, during which we seriously and in various ways concern ourselves with our conversion. What does this conversion we often hear about consist of? We could simply say this: to convert is to pass from Adam to Jesus! Adam listened to the one who gave him life, but then he preferred to give credence to another voice, the one that cast doubt on the love of his God and Father. By listening to that voice, he fell into disobedience, which we call sin. This word is known and used only in Jewish and Christian circles, where Adam is mentioned. Other people do not know it, which is why we are reluctant to use it today, so as not to risk being misunderstood.

We are children of Adam. We were born and raised by those who are accustomed to questioning God's word, even to thinking that he is jealous and desires our ruin. We have become accustomed to suspecting God, even deliberately altering his instructions, as the tempting voice said to Eve: “Is it true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”. God had not said this, but only that they could not eat from one tree. But with his lie, the tempter provokes Eve to argue, drawing her into his thoughts. From here, it is easy to agree with those who have no love.

Conversion is moving from Adam to Jesus. Jesus also had to deal with the tempter. He spares no one. He always starts, even with Jesus, from the Word of God, trying to draw him into discussion. Knowing that Jesus still had in his ears the Word heard at the Jordan: ‘This is my beloved Son,’ he begins by reminding him of it, but obviously for a selfish reason, to suggest that he use the powers of the Son of God to perform miracles for his own benefit: first he will turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger, then he will blackmail God by inviting him to perform a miracle to satisfy his vainglory, and finally, by making him believe that, being the Son of God, he could rule men successfully, better than anyone else: but he should allow himself to be made head of the kingdoms of the world. Who would put him in charge of these kingdoms? The tempter himself, Satan, the enemy of God and men. And Jesus would thus have to use his violent and oppressive methods.

Jesus knows that arguing is dangerous, so he does not follow the path of reasoning. He recalls the prophetic Word found in the Scriptures. To the provocation, ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he responds within himself: Yes, I am the Son of God, I believe it, and I do not need to prove it. Since I am his son, God is my Father, he loves me, and therefore I obey him. I listen to his Word in order to fulfil it, to obey him.

Here are the answers present in Jesus' memory from his reading of the Holy Scriptures: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God': from that Word we too receive life. To the demand for a miracle he replies: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”, for that would mean not having faith in him, not considering him God, putting oneself in his place. We believe that God already loves us; he does not have to prove it to us. And to the proposal of wanting the good of men by dominating them, here is the secret: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him alone shall you serve”. This is the sure way to love men, who need to recognise themselves as children of God, always obeying him and loving him with all their hearts. Anyone who thinks they can love men by using weapons and violence does not know what love is.

To move from Adam to Jesus means to move from thinking that God is powerful to remembering the love of a God who always loves. Conversion, then, is this change of perspective: I do not seek myself, my health, my glory among men, I do not seek to have power over them, but I will seek to live the life of my God. How? I will love, I will serve, I will be humble and meek, with joy and gratitude.

St Paul helps us to reflect on this conversion, which will be continuous and persevering. He tells us that “just as through the disobedience of one man all were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man all will be made righteous”: Adam and Eve, with their reasoning, ruined us all by putting us on the path of disobedience, but Jesus, with his listening and his obedient love, makes us all pleasing to God the Father, like him, and therefore able to transform the world from a kingdom that oppresses to a kingdom of heaven, a kingdom of celebration, communion, peace and freedom!