Opening Prayer – First Sunday of Lent
Heavenly Father,
You give us the breath of life,
You created us from nothing,
You sent your Son to die for our sins,
You love us above all things.
Oh, how grateful we are for all these gifts
Let us show our gratitude.

Journal/Reflection Questions
Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7
• How is your relationship with God? How is it different than the way God intended it to be?
• What do you try to hide from God? What do you hide from others?

Romans 5:12-19
• Paul says we should be grateful for the sin of Adam. Why do you think he says this? What do you think?
• Is there a difference between sinning against God and sinning against our neighbor?

Matthew 4:1-11
• Jesus fights the devil in the desert, how can you draw strength from this reading in your struggles?
• Where do you feel the Spirit moving you in your life right now? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to follow?

General Questions for Journaling
• The gift of freewill gets humans into a lot of trouble. Is there a time when you knew the will of God but you ignored it like Adam and Eve?
• Why do you think God gave humans free will but not the other creatures?
• If God didn’t give humans free will, what do you think the world would be like?
• How do you hide your sinfulness from others? Are you honest with yourself about your faults and failings?
• Do you celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation regularly? The precepts of the Catholic Church say a person should receive the sacrament at least once a year. If not, what is keeping you from receiving God’s grace through this sacrament of healing?
• Sometimes when a person fails, they become discouraged and give up because the weight of sin can be paralyzing. What can you do to help you remember that Jesus already bore your sins? How can you free yourself or others from the burden of sin?
• Describe a time when you felt you were in the desert. Describe a time when you felt you were in the wilderness. How did those experiences similar? Differ? Where was God in these experiences?

Closing Prayer
Leader: One cannot live on bread alone;
ALL: Lord, you give us your flesh and blood.
Leader: One cannot serve two masters;
ALL: Lord, it is YOU I choose to serve.
Leader: One cannot honor any before God;
ALL: Lord, YOU are above all things in my life.
Leader: When we are faced with temptations and trials;
ALL: May we turn to YOU for strength to overcome!

Challenge for the Week: Jesus is faced with some great challenges in the Gospel this week. How do we fair when faced with these same challenges? Here are some thoughts on fasting, almsgiving and prayer…
Whether we are Catholic and bound by fasting or abstaining regulations of Lent or whether we are on a diet or trying to eat healthier, we are tempted by food like Jesus was by the devil in the desert. When we don’t care for the needs of others or don’t make time for God daily lives, our actions say we honor ourselves more than our neighbor or God. If we do things just for the praise of others or to be acknowledged for doing something good, then we are not giving God the glory He deserves for giving you the free will to choose to do the right thing. We are tempted each day…can we be strong like Jesus?