The Chair of Saint Peter, apostle – Feast
First Letter of Peter 5:1-4.
So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst, (overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Psalms 23(22):1-6.
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;
you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.
Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.
You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16:13-19.
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Commentary of the day : A sermon attributed to Saint Augustine
« You shall be called Peter» (Jn 1,42)

First Sunday of Lent
Book of Deuteronomy 26:4-10.
The priest shall then receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the LORD, your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And having set them before the LORD, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.

Psalms 91(90):1-2.10-11.12-13.14-15.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.
With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.
Whoever clings to me I will deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high.
All who call upon me I will answer; I will be with them in distress; I will deliver them and give them honor.

Letter to the Romans 10:8-13.
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach),
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4:1-13.
Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert
for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
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 by bread alone.'”
Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'”
Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”
Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'”
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
Commentary of the day : Saint Ambrose
«Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil»

Book of Isaiah 58:9-14.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
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.

Psalms 86(85):1-2.3-4.5-6.
A prayer of David. Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed.
Preserve my life, for I am loyal; save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; pity me, Lord; to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant; to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.
Lord, you are kind and forgiving, most loving to all who call on you.
LORD, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:27-32.
After this he went out and 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.”
Commentary of the day : Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Called to become saints