First Sunday of Lent Year C Gospel

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, where he was tempted by the devil. During that time Jesus ate nothing, and at the end of it faced hunger. The devil said to Jesus, “If you come from God, command this stone to turn into bread.”  Jesus answered, “Scripture has it, ‘Not on bread alone shall we live.’ ”

Then the devil took Jesus up higher and showed him all the nations of the world in a single instant.  The devil said, “I will give you all this power and the glory of these nations; the power has been given to me and I will give it to whomever I wish.  Prostrate yourself in homage before me, and it shall all be yours.”  In reply, Jesus said, “Scripture has it ‘You shall do homage to God alone; God alone shall you adore.’ ”

Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, set him up on the parapet of the temple, and said, “If you come from God, throw yourself down from here, for Scripture has it, ‘God will bid the angels watch over you’; and again,

‘With their hands they will support you, that you may never stumble on a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to the devil in reply, ”It also says, You shall not put the Most High to the test.’  “When the devil had finished all this tempting, Jesus was left alone.  The devil awaited another opportunity.

The Good News as spoken through Luke.