by L'équipe de publication | Feb 21, 2026 | Evangelium
1st SUNDAY OF LENT
SAINT PETER’S CHAIR
SAINT ISABELLE
Psalter I | VIOLET
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 90:15-16
When he calls on me, I will answer him; I will deliver him and give him glory, I will grant him length of days.
Collect
Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
First reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.”‘ But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
R/Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
- Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
- For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
- A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
- Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Second reading: Romans 5:12-19
Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. 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.
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 4:4b
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and 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 with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Give us the right dispositions, O Lord, we pray, to make these offerings, for with them we celebrate the beginning of this venerable and sacred time. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 4: 4
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed now with heavenly bread, by which faith is nourished, hope increased, and charity strengthened, we pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ, the true and living Bread, and strive to live by every word which proceeds from your mouth. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
May bountiful blessing, O Lord, we pray, come down upon your people, that hope may grow in tribulation, virtue be strengthened in temptation, and eternal redemption be assured. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“You will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” The three temptations of the devil in the Gospel are directed at our need for material subsistence, our inclination to show off our abilities, and our desire for material wealth, and power. In our efforts to satisfy these desires, we run the risk of trying to do everything it takes to achieve our goals, thus blurring the line between good and evil. And when we forget the distinction between good and evil, we push God away and become the sole custodians of our lives, deciding what is good or bad depending on what we want. Basically, this is what temptation is; it is an invitation to take the place of God and decide for ourselves what is good or bad. Just as the devil did with Adam and Eve, he incites us to reject God’s will in favour of our will. Jesus’ answer to the third temptation indicates how we can deal with temptation: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.” When we truly worship and serve God, we strive to do his will, and not our will or what the world tells us to do.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 20, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT PETER DAMIAN, BISHOP AND DOCTOR
Psalter IV | VIOLET
He was a cardinal and doctor of the church, an original leader, and a forceful figure in the Gregorian Reform movement, whose personal example and many writings exercised great influence on religious life in the 11th and 12th.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 68: 17
Answer us, Lord, for your mercy is kind; in the abundance of your mercies, look upon us.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, look with compassion on our weakness and ensure us your protection by stretching forth the right hand of your majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 58:9b-14
Thus says the Lord: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails. The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; “Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you, “Restorer of ruined homesteads.” If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, and the Lord’s holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice – Then you shall delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R/Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
- Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me, for I am afflicted and poor. Keep my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God.
- Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
- For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading.
Saint Biography
He was a cardinal and doctor of the church, an original leader, and a forceful figure in the Gregorian Reform movement, whose personal example and many writings exercised great influence on religious life in the 11th and 12th.
Gospel Acclamation: Ezekiel 33:11
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.
Gospel: Luke 5:27-32
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation and praise, and grant that, cleansed by its working, we may offer minds well pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 9:13
I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord, for I did not come to call the just but sinners.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished with the gift of heavenly life, we pray, O Lord, that what remains for us a mystery in this present life may be for us a help to reach eternity. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Abide graciously, O Lord, with your people, who have touched the sacred mysteries, that no dangers may bring affliction to those who trust in you, their protector. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Like the Pharisees, we are very good at pointing out the faults of others. We criticise people for the bad things they do and say, condemn them for the unpleasant aspects of their character, and speak evil about them to others. Jesus invites us today to learn to look at sinners in a different way. The Pharisees saw in Levi a sinner who had to be avoided; Jesus saw in him a sinner who could change. Indeed, God sees in all of us sinners who need to be saved, not condemned, and that is why he sent his Son into the world. The words of Jesus to the Pharisees make this clear: “I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.” We should therefore change our attitude towards those we consider to be bad people; instead of criticising them, we should think of ways of helping them to change. We can advise them, correct them and pray for them, so that through us God may reach out to them and call them to repentance.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 19, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT AIMEE
Psalter IV | VIOLET
She entered the Augustinian Sisters of Mercy convent and in 1935 became the mother superior. She was known for her dedication to helping Allied soldiers and French resistance fighters during the war, sheltering them at the convent and aiding their escape. She was later elected as the first Superior General of the Federation of Augustinian monasteries in 1946 and was awarded the French Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle for her bravery and service. Sadly, she died in 1951 from a cerebral hemorrhage before she could embark on a mission to South Africa, at the age of 49.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 29:11
The Lord heard and had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper.
Collect
Show gracious favour, O Lord, we pray, to the works of penance we have begun, that we may have strength to accomplish with sincerity the bodily observances we undertake. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a
Thus says the Lord God: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due them, pleased to gain access to God. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw. Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high! Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
R/ A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
- Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
- For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
- For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Saint Biography
She entered the Augustinian Sisters of Mercy convent and in 1935 became the mother superior. She was known for her dedication to helping Allied soldiers and French resistance fighters during the war, sheltering them at the convent and aiding their escape. She was later elected as the first Superior General of the Federation of Augustinian monasteries in 1946 and was awarded the French Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle for her bravery and service. Sadly, she died in 1951 from a cerebral hemorrhage before she could embark on a mission to South Africa, at the age of 49.
Gospel Acclamation: Amos 5:14
Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you.
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer, O Lord, the sacrifice of our Lenten observance, praying that it may make our intentions acceptable to you and add to our powers of self-restraint. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 24:4
O Lord, make me know your ways, teach me your paths.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, almighty God, that, through partaking of this mystery, we may be cleansed of all our misdeeds, and so be suited for the remedies of your compassion. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
For your mighty deeds, O God of mercy, may your people offer endless thanks, and, by observing the age-old disciplines along their pilgrim journey, may they merit to come and behold you for ever. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“This is the sort of fast that pleases me.” As long as Jesus was present with his disciples, they could not fast because of the joy of having the Master with them. But Jesus knew that he would be taken away from them when he would die. Jesus has left this world and we no longer enjoy his physical presence, although he is with us in spirit, and we long for the day when we will be fully united with him. Fasting is therefore an act meant to draw us closer to Jesus. It is for this reason that Isaiah teaches us that true fasting is supposed to purify our hearts and dispose us to love God and our neighbour more and more. Abstaining from food and drink is us useless if it does not teach us to feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty. Depriving ourselves of things we are attached to serves no purpose if it does not enable us to abandon bad habits and character traits. In a nutshell, true fasting must bear fruits of charity, because it is meant to make us deny ourselves in order to obey God and serve others. Let this kind of fasting be our objective during Lent.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 18, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT GABINUS
Psalter IV | VIOLET
He was a member of the imperial Roman. His life took a profound turn when he embraced Christianity and became a devout follower of Jesus Christ and dedicated himself to spreading the teachings of the faith, even in the face of potential danger. He became a target of this persecution. He was captured, and faced the choice between renouncing his faith or suffering a brutal martyrdom. His selfless sacrifice serves as a powerful testament to his unwavering devotion to his faith.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 54: 17-20, 23
When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice; he rescued me from those who attack me. Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you.
Collect
Prompt our actions with your inspiration, we pray, O Lord, and further them with your constant help, that all we do may always begin from you and by you be brought to completion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Moses said to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R/ Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
- Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.
- He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
- Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.
Saint Biography
He was a member of the imperial Roman. His life took a profound turn when he embraced Christianity and became a devout follower of Jesus Christ and dedicated himself to spreading the teachings of the faith, even in the face of potential danger. He became a target of this persecution. He was captured, and faced the choice between renouncing his faith or suffering a brutal martyrdom. His selfless sacrifice serves as a powerful testament to his unwavering devotion to his faith.
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 4:17
Repent, says the Lord; the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Gospel: Luke 9:22-25
Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”
Prayer over the Offerings
Regard with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings we set upon this sacred altar, that, bestowing on us your pardon, our oblations may give honour to your name. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 50: 12
Create a pure heart for me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Prayer after Communion
Having received the blessing of your heavenly gifts, we humbly beseech you, almighty God, that they may always be for us a source both of pardon and of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Almighty God, who have made known to your people the ways of eternal life, lead them by that path, we pray, to you, the unfading light. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Renounce yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” Lent is a time for conversion, and if we want to achieve conversion we must first renounce ourselves. To renounce oneself is to abandon one’s will in favour of God’s will. Jesus asked his Father in the garden of Gethsemane to take the cup of suffering away from if he could; but he said God’s will, and not his will, should be done. We have to deny all the desires and habits that we are attached to but which go against God’s will; we have to desire what God wants over what we want. Secondly, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus. Jesus carried his cross all the way to Calvary; we must accept to bear with all the challenges, difficulties and sufferings that come as part of human life or as a result of our being followers of Jesus. Moses reminds us that life is choice between blessing and curse; to choose the blessing is to choose to die to ourselves and embrace suffering, like Jesus did. It is only by suffering with Jesus that we will triumph with him.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 17, 2026 | Evangelium
Lent is a solemn period of preparation that lasts for 40 days, not counting Sundays, and is traditionally marked by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, leading up to Easter Sunday, the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. It is a time of testing and spiritual growth for Jesus, mirroring the opportunity for Catholics to grow closer to God. Lent is also a time for inner transformation. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, signified by the receiving of ashes as a reminder of mortality and the need for repentance. The final week of Lent is known as Holy Week, which leads up to Easter Sunday.
During Lent, there is an increased focus on Prayer and attending church services, especially the Stations of the Cross. Reading scripture and personal reection are
encouraged. entails sacrifice Fasting and self-discipline. Many Catholics observe fasting and abstinence during Lent. Traditionally, Catholics abstain from meat on all
Fridays of the year, and some choose to give up something they enjoy for Lent. This act of sacrifice is meant to symbolise Jesus’ fasting, temptation and sacrifice on the cross. Lent is a time for increased generosity towards those in need through almsgiving.
Catholics are encouraged to donate to charities, volunteer their time, or perform acts of kindness.
Lent in 2025 holds a special signicance within the designated Jubilee Year focusing on the «Pilgrims of Hope”. This theme beautifully sets the tone for the Lenten season.
This Jubilee Year’s theme emphasises the concept of a journey – a pilgrimage towards a brighter future filled with hope. Lent, with its introspective practices, becomes a perfect opportunity to embark on this hopeful pilgrimage. By embracing the spirit of «Pilgrims of Hope,» let us embark on a journey of personal growth and contribute to a world filled with greater hope.
WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY
ASH WEDNESDAY
SAINT BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS, VIRGIN
Psalter IV | VIOLET
Born in Lourdes, France, the eldest of nine children from a poverty-stricken family. She experienced 18 visions of the Virgin Mary at the Massabielle Grotto in Lourdes. These visions led to the founding of the Marian shrine of Lourdes. Mary revealed her identity as “the Immaculate Conception” and instructed Bernadette to build a chapel.
Entrance Antiphon: Wis 11:24, 25, 27
You are merciful to all, O Lord, and despise nothing that you have made. You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance, and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God.
Collect
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Joel 2:12-18
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the Lord, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, And say, “Spare, O Lord, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?”” Then the Lord was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R/ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
- Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
- For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
- A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
- Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.
- [sic] O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Second reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Saint Biography
Born in Lourdes, France, the eldest of nine children from a poverty-stricken family. She experienced 18 visions of the Virgin Mary at the Massabielle Grotto in Lourdes. These visions led to the founding of the Marian shrine of Lourdes. Mary revealed her identity as “the Immaculate Conception” and instructed Bernadette to build a chapel.
Gospel Acclamation: Psalm 95:8
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we solemnly offer the annual sacrifice for the beginning of Lent, we entreat you, O Lord, that, through works of penance and charity, we may turn away from harmful pleasures and, cleansed from our sins, may become worthy to celebrate devoutly the Passion of your Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 1:2-3
He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night will yield fruit in due season.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received sustain us, O Lord, that our Lenten fast may be pleasing to you and be for us a healing remedy. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Pour out a spirit of compunction, O God, on those who bow before your majesty, and by your mercy may they merit the rewards you promise to those who do penance. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn.” Lent is a season of intense spiritual revival. It is a period during which we focus intently on the reality of sin; we remember that we are sinners and because of our sins Jesus died on the cross. For this reason, we resolve to reconcile ourselves with God, as St. Paul exhorts us to do in the Second Reading, and the Church proposes charity, prayer and fasting as three tools for this reconciliation. But Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel that these practices will bear no fruit if they are mere outward acts that do not transform our hearts. We should perform works of charity out of a sincere desire to think less about ourselves and make sacrifices for others. Our prayer should be a true dialogue with God in which we listen to him and ask him for his sanctifying grace. Our fasting should be a real effort to subdue our desires and control our passions, in order to fight against sin. In short, Lent is a time when we make an extra effort at true conversion. May this 40 day period bring about a genuine change in our relationship with God and our neighbour.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 16, 2026 | Evangelium
THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS OF THE SERVITE ORDER
Psalter II | GREEN
In the early thirteenth century seven young Florentines formed a confraternity of laymen devoted to the praise of Mary. In 1233, after a vision on the feast of the Assumption, they took up the life of hermits on Monte Senario outside Florence. They went preaching through the whole of Tuscany and founded the order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Servites, whose foundation was approved by the Pope in 1304.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 30:3-4
Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.
Collect
O God, who teach us that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: James 1:12-18
Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
R/ Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
- Blessed the man whom you instruct, O Lord, whom by your law you teach, Giving him rest from evil days.
- For the Lord will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; But judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
- When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, O Lord, sustains me; When cares abound within me, your comfort gladdens my soul.
Saint Biography
In the early thirteenth century seven young Florentines formed a confraternity of laymen devoted to the praise of Mary. In 1233, after a vision on the feast of the Assumption, they took up the life of hermits on Monte Senario outside Florence. They went preaching through the whole of Tuscany and founded the order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Servites, whose foundation was approved by the Pope in 1304.
Gospel Acclamation: John 14:23
Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 8:14-21
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation, O Lord, we pray, cleanse and renew us and may it become for those who do your will the source of eternal reward. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 77: 29-30
They ate and had their fill, and what they craved the Lord gave them; they were not disappointed in what they craved.
Prayer after Communion
Having fed upon these heavenly delights, we pray, O Lord, so that we may always long for that food by which we truly live. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation.” Temptation is not sin; it is an invitation to sin. Temptation does not come from God, for God does not want us to sin; it comes from the Evil One, who seeks to lead us astray. He tempts us through our desires, which in themselves are not bad but can lead us into sin. We all possess bodily urges, as well as aspirations to social, political and economic advancement and recognition. The devil tempts us by proposing means of satisfying these desires which are quick and effective, but which go contrary to what God expects of us. We can see this with the Pharisees; in their desire to observe the Law of Moses, they got carried away by the desire for self-aggrandisement, and as a result they became more interested in showing off their piety than teaching love and justice. This was why Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the yeast of the scribes and Pharisees, that is, of their teaching. May God grant us the wisdom to see the devil’s plans to mislead us and the courage to resist temptation and remain faithful to Jesus.
