First Sunday of Lent Reflection

This first Sunday of Lent we hear the iconic story of Noah, his family along with pairs of animals taking shelter in a wooden ark. Following God’s command all are spared from the destructive forces of the mammoth flood. From the torrents God’s Covenant surfaces God’s promise to all humanity and our Planet: I recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.” Gn 9:15

St. Peter references this catastrophic event as prefiguring Baptism. Humanity's sinful nature turns against God and one another wreaking havoc and severing relationships with all creative order. Even today, we continue to wrestle with our brokenness and vulnerability. We hear God’s promise again in Peter’s Letter (Pt 3:18-22). Immersed in the waters of Baptism, washed and renewed, we are infused with the outpouring of the Spirit. Through our Baptism we awaken to God’s Spirit calling us to change. We are renewed in Christ! What’s holding us back? There’s no time to wait.
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Mark’s Gospel seems to capture that sense of urgency when he writes about Jesus’ desert experience. “The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert where he was tempted by demons and ministered by angels.” Mark gets to the point. Jesus moves quickly ushering in a new era as he proclaims the message. "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." [Mk 1:12-15]

These threads: God’s covenant with humanity and all living things, the life-giving waters of Baptism, the call to repent and believe in the Gospel weave together a potent message: We are called to turn away from sinful ways and to receive the outpouring of God’s grace. We are on this Lenten journey to encounter Jesus the Christ, the Risen One in the Easter Sacraments and in all of Creation. Lent creates the heart-space for prayer and reflection: In my own life, where am I being called to grow and be transformed? How conscious am I of the brokenness and vulnerability of our Planet Earth? Do I really love myself and all that God is calling me to be in my life? This Lent may we recommit to the life-giving waters of our Baptism.

Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant. Psalm 25