Readings: Genesis
9:8-15; Psalm 25; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15
THEME OF THE
READINGS
"Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the
gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent,
and believe in the gospel.´" The Church invites us to
listen to the initial proclamation of the good news of
salvation, as if it were the first time, and make
the beginning of our Lenten journey a beginning again to
follow Christ. In him, the pledge given to Noah of
an irrevocable covenant (Second Reading) is given its full realization
through the mystery of his death and resurrection, into which
we are baptized (Second Reading).
DOCTRINAL MESSAGE
Journey
towards Easter. The baptismal reference directs our gaze towards
Easter. Lent began as an intense time of final and
immediate preparation of catechumens for their baptism at the Easter
Vigil. In time, it was extended to the entire Christian
community; not in vain, since our baptism merits much more
than the cursory attention most of us give it. It
is the most important event in our lives! It is
our task this Lent to make ourselves ready to make
the renewal of our baptismal vows at Easter a real
and effective event, not a mere ritual symbol.
The kingdom
is at hand. Just as occurred during the forty
days of the flood, "wild beasts" cohabit peacefully with a
son of man, a clear sign that the laws of
the kingdom are already in force (Isaiah 11:6-9). In the
person of Jesus it is already present in its essence.
All the more remarkable, and significant, then, is the fact
that the momentous announcement of salvation – finally, at last,
at hand! – is immediately preceded by Jesus´ forty-day fast
in the desert, and immediately followed, not by a wedding
feast or a blast of trumpets, but by a call
to repentance and complete change of heart. This was not
some divine miscalculation or irrelevant coincidence: it was the Spirit
who "drove him out into the desert". Nor was it
a question of a calm and idyllic retreat, but of
a long battle against the fierce assault of the tempter,
Satan.
Journey with Christ. Nevertheless, what Jesus proclaims
is the gospel: the good news! Lent is not a
lugubrious time, nor is Christian life a grim, joyless struggle
against temptation and the desires of the flesh. Both are
a call to follow Christ, and that is what underlies
the call to conversion and "believing in" or adhering to
the gospel message with our entire person. We are to
be converted, not to something harsh or boring or demeaning,
but to a life with and like Christ. This is
a much more marvelous existence, filled with meaning and the
highest dignity we could aspire to, as brothers and sisters
of Christ; to the point that even the angels, recognizing
him in us, are compelled to minister to us as
they did to him.
God´s covenant with us
is irrevocable: he will never go back on his word,
thanks to his Son who has died for all of
us, and risen again so that we can follow him
not in imagination, but in fact.
Catechesis. The
kingdom of heaven, inaugurated on earth by Jesus and central
to his preaching (CCC 541-53), offers a rich
subject often neglected in catechesis. Alternative: the grace of baptism
(CCC 1262-74; cf. 1219).
PASTORAL APPLICATIONS
Putting your baptism to work. What
baptism works in us is literally mind-boggling - or would
be if we actually gave it some thought. But if
you compare the accumulated thought you have given your baptism
to the time you have spent following celebrity scandals, or
your favorite sports team, you´ll probably be very ashamed of
your superficiality, and ingratitude. Among its multifaceted effects we can
count the permanent invitation to be one of Jesus´ disciples,
to closely share his life with him and follow him
wherever he goes. To be part of the ´team´ Jesus
has put together to proclaim the good news of the
kingdom is capable of making our whole life a passionate
adventure; something truly worthwhile. Of course, that needs to be
more than a nice idea. Work on that during Lent.
Find out what needs doing. Your pastor can help if
you´re short on ideas! Then start taking concrete steps to
get into action. Then the renewal of your baptismal promises
this Easter will not be hot air.
Lenten Rosary. This
Lent, how about giving up "not praying the Rosary"? Jesus´
proclamation of the Kingdom and call to conversion is the
third of the new "Mysteries of Light" added by Pope
John Paul II to the Rosary (and the Transfiguration, subject
of next Sunday´s gospel, is the fourth). In this "Year
of the Rosary", why not learn to follow Christ by
praying the Rosary as a family – perhaps inviting in
friends or neighbors? (That´s one good and simple way of
spreading the good news of the kingdom to others, incidentally).
You get so much more out of an art gallery
if you are guided by a real expert. To pray
the Rosary is to learn about Christ with Mary as
our expert guide. the very best there is. That it
is the Holy Father´s favorite prayer is in itself a
pretty good recommendation of its worth and its power.
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