First Sunday of Lent (Year A)

First Sunday of Lent February 22, 2026

Genesis 2:7-9, 16-18, 25; 3:1-7;   Romans 5:12-19;   Matthew 4:1-11

(image courtesy: Google)

An eight-year-old boy approached an old man in front of a wishing well, looked up into his eyes, and asked: "I understand you're a very wise man. I'd like to know the secret of life."  The old man looked down at the youngster and replied: "I've thought a lot in my lifetime, and the secret can be summed up in four words. The first is think. Think about the values you wish to live your life by. The second is believe. Believe in yourself based on the thinking you've done about the values you're going to live your life by.  The third is dream. Dream about the things that can be, based on your belief in yourself and the values you're going to live by.   The last is dare. Dare to make your dreams become reality, based on your belief in yourself and your values."  And with that, Walter E. Disney said to the little boy, "Think, Believe, Dream, and Dare."

As we begin the First Sunday of Lent, these four words speak deeply to the readings placed before us: Think, Believe, Dream, and Dare. Lent is precisely this journey. It is a time to think about our values, to renew our belief, to dream of the life God desires for us, and to dare to choose God over temptation.

In the first reading from Genesis, we see the beauty of God’s original dream for humanity. God forms man from the dust of the earth and breathes into him the breath of life. The garden is filled with beauty, harmony, and intimacy. Man and woman walk with God. They are naked and feel no shame. This is God’s dream: a life rooted in trust, obedience, and communion.

But then comes the serpent. The tempter does not begin with a command; he begins with a question. “Did God really say…?” The serpent attacks the mind first. He disturbs their thinking. Instead of trusting God’s goodness, the woman begins to doubt. She sees the fruit differently now. It looks desirable. It looks good. The problem began when they stopped thinking according to God’s truth and started thinking according to the serpent’s suggestion.

They also stopped believing in God’s word. Instead of believing that God’s command was for their protection, they believed the lie that God was withholding something good from them. Their dream changed. Instead of dreaming of deeper communion with God, they dreamed of being like God on their own terms. And finally, they dared but in the wrong direction. They dared to disobey.

The result was shame, fear, and separation.

St Paul in the letter to the Romans explains the consequence: through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin. Adam’s failure affected all humanity. But Paul does not end with despair. He gives us hope. Just as sin came through one man, salvation comes through one man Christ. Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we see the new Adam. Jesus is led into the desert and tempted by the devil. The setting is significant. The first Adam was tempted in a garden full of abundance. Jesus is tempted in the desert after forty days of fasting. The first Adam failed in a place of plenty. Jesus triumphs in a place of hunger.

The devil uses the same strategy. He attacks thinking: “If you are the Son of God…” He tries to create doubt about identity. He tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread. He tempts Him with power and glory. He tempts Him to test God. In each temptation, the devil proposes a different value system comfort over obedience, power over trust, spectacle over humility.

But Jesus thinks rightly. He responds with Scripture. “Man shall not live by bread alone.” “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve.” Jesus’ thinking is rooted in God’s word. He believes completely in the Father. He does not need to prove Himself. He does not need shortcuts. His dream is not personal glory but the Father’s will. And He dares not to disobey, but to remain faithful. He dares to choose the harder path. He dares to say no to immediate satisfaction in order to say yes to eternal salvation.

Lent places us in that same desert. It is a season of testing, purification, and renewal. The four words from the story can guide us.

First, Think. Lent invites us to examine our values. What truly guides my decisions? Is it comfort, approval, success, pleasure? Or is it faithfulness, humility, love, and obedience to God? Temptation often begins in the mind. If we do not think clearly according to God’s truth, we will slowly justify wrong choices. This week, take time each day for silent reflection. Read the Word of God. Allow your thinking to be shaped by Scripture, not by the noise of the world.

Second, Believe. Adam and Eve stopped believing in God’s goodness. Jesus believed fully. Lent is a time to renew trust. Do I believe that God’s commandments are for my freedom, not my restriction? Do I believe that God’s grace is stronger than my weakness? Saint Paul assures us that Christ’s obedience brings justification and life. Believe that grace is available. Go to confession. Receive the Eucharist with faith. Trust that God is working even when you feel in the desert.

Third, Dream. God has a dream for each of us a life of holiness, joy, and communion. Sin reduces our dreams to small, selfish desires. Lent expands our vision again. Dream of becoming more patient. Dream of reconciling with someone. Dream of deeper prayer. Dream of being a light in your family or workplace. When Jesus rejected the kingdoms of the world, it was because He had a greater dream the Kingdom of God.

Fourth, Dare. It takes courage to live differently. It takes courage to forgive. It takes courage to fast and pray consistently. It takes courage to say no to habits that bind us. Lent is not passive. It calls for a decision. Dare to begin again. Dare to wake up earlier for prayer. Dare to reduce screen time. Dare to practice charity intentionally. Dare to choose honesty when lying would be easier. Holiness is not accidental; it is chosen daily.

For this week, let us take one concrete step in each area. Think by spending ten minutes each day reflecting on the Gospel. Believe by making an act of trust in moments of anxiety. Dream by identifying one spiritual goal for this Lent. Dare by taking one practical action that moves you toward that goal.

In the beginning, Adam failed to think according to God, failed to believe His word, dreamed wrongly, and dared to disobey. In the desert, Jesus thought with clarity, believed completely, dreamed of the Father’s will, and dared to remain faithful. Because of Him, we are not trapped in Adam’s failure. We are invited into Christ’s victory.

As we begin this Lenten journey, let those four words echo in our hearts. Think according to God’s truth. Believe in His promise. Dream of the life of grace He offers. Dare to choose Him every day. If we live this way, Lent will not just be forty days of sacrifice. It will be a path back to the garden, back to communion, back to life.

Think. Believe. Dream. Dare. This is not only the secret of life. It is the path to holiness.

Happy Sunday