Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 1, 2020
First Reading: Genesis 2.7-9, 16-18, 25; 3.1-7
7then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.9And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."18Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"4But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;19then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Second Reading: Romans 5.12, 17-19
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--17If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.19For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Gospel: Matthew 4.1-11
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.3And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."4But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"5Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple6and 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 "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"7Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.9And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."10Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from the origins of humanity's struggle with sin to the ultimate triumph through Jesus Christ. The first reading from Genesis recounts the creation of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin, illustrating the initial fracture in humanity's relationship with God. The second reading from Romans bridges this gap, explaining how Christ's obedience counteracts Adam's disobedience, offering justification and life. The Gospel from Matthew then presents Jesus as the new Adam, who resists temptation, embodying the obedience that restores our relationship with God.
These readings interconnect by tracing the arc of sin and redemption. Genesis introduces the problem of sin, Romans provides the theological understanding of salvation through Christ, and Matthew exemplifies this salvation in action through Jesus' temptations. Together, they reveal a narrative of creation, fall, and redemption, highlighting God's plan to restore humanity.
In our daily lives, these readings remind us that we all face temptations and struggles with sin, but through faith and obedience, we can overcome them. Just as Jesus resisted Satan by relying on God's word, we too can find strength in prayer and scripture. The moral lesson is clear: our struggles are not in vain, for through Christ, we are offered grace and the power to live justly. Let us embrace this hope, trusting in God's redeeming love to guide us through life's challenges.