Podcast: 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A

Hi and welcome to the Modern Psalmist Podcast. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.

This weekend we celebrate the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A. We’re only a few days into our Lenten journey that started this past Ash Wednesday. Sometimes the beginning of any journey toward self-improvement can have a rough or rocky start. But I want to encourage you to keep going. We should never focus on our mistakes, but instead on the Lord, who promises to always be there for his faithful ones when they call to him.

And God knows we need encouragement – we need to be reminded of his promises. That’s why I believe the entrance antiphon for today is so fitting.

Taken from verses 15 & 16 of Psalm 91, we read:

“When he calls on me, I will answer him;
I will deliver him and give him glory,
I will grant him length of days.”

It’s a reminder that, during this season of repentance and reflection, the Lord will hear our petitions and answer us.

Interestingly enough, the psalm for today has the exact same response and verses as Ash Wednesday. Taken from Psalm chapter 51, the response is

“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”

While any song of penitence is appropriate for Lent, seldom do we repeat the exact same psalm response and the same exact verses like we have in this case. But in the context of all the readings for today, we can begin to understand why additional emphasis has been placed on Psalm 51.

In today’s first scripture from Genesis chapter 2, we read of humanity’s fall from grace with the first sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, when Satan tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Likewise, in the gospel reading from Matthew chapter 4, Jesus has fasted for 40 days and is tempted three times by Satan, but he does *not* sin.

And in the 2nd reading from Romans chapter 5, St Paul summarizes the story of God’s salvation plan for humanity in verses 18 and 19:

“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.”

Our place in this story of humanity is to remain humble and penitent, and continually ask the Lord for his bountiful mercy.

The gospel acclamation and communion antiphon for today are both from Matthew chapter 4 verse 4:

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

This is apropos of the gospel reading from Luke today where Jesus goes out into the desert to fast, and at the end of 40 days, is tempted by Satan. After 40 days of eating nothing, Jesus *had* to be very hungry.

In Luke Chapter 4, verses 3 & 4,
the devil said to him,

“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”

That’s from the gospel reading for today, whereas the communion antiphon and Gospel acclamation verse both from the same story as told by Matthew. In this account, we read Jesus’ complete response when tempted by Satan:

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

We’re just a few days into our 40-day Lenten journey, so it’s appropriate that the gospel for today shares the temptations that Jesus faced and overcame after his own 40-day period of fasting in the desert.

We are called as disciples of Christ to follow his example. And although most of us would be hard-pressed to go a full 40 days without food, still we should abstain from luxuries and truly take time to prepare our hearts and minds for the Feast of the Resurrection at Easter.

By meditating on the scriptures presented throughout the Lenten season, and truly applying them to our lives, we allow the Holy Spirit to show us, little by little, the ways in which we can become more like Christ. This is how we live “by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

A song that I love for the Lenten Season that fits well with Psalm 51 is titled “Out of the Deep I Call” by Sir Henry Williams Baker, who composed lyrics in 1868 to the tune of SOUTHWELL by William Daman from 1579. The haunting melody is so beautiful that I even composed my own Spanish lyrics for the song and titled it “Desde lo hondo a ti grito”

Here is my musical interpretation of the original English version by Sir Henry Williams Baker.

1. Out of the deep I call
To Thee, O Lord, to Thee.
Before Thy throne of grace I fall;
Be merciful to me.

2. Out of the deep I cry,
The woeful deep of sin,
Of evil done in days gone by,
Of evil now within;

3. Out of the deep of fear
And dread of coming shame;
All night till morning watch is near
I plead the precious name.

4. Lord, there is mercy now,
As ever was, with Thee.
Before Thy throne of grace I bow;
Be merciful to me.

That was “Out of the Deep I Call” by Sir Henry Williams Baker for the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A. Links to the recordings and sheet music of all the songs featured on this podcast can be found in the show notes below.

What are your key takeaways or insights from the scripture readings for today? Go ahead and leave a comment on this video and let me know. Or if you’re listening to the audio version of the podcast, you can click a link in the show notes to leave a comment.

I hope you are enjoying this Lenten series from The Modern Psalmist. As always, if you find this podcast enriching, please share it with others who also can benefit from a deeper meditation on God’s word.

Tune in again in one week for the 2nd Sunday of Lent.

God bless you!