FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
FEBRUARY 22, 2015
The
Book of Genesis is about beginnings. In
the very first verse, God breaks through the chaos and imparts order by
creating the world and making everything very good. Beginning with the sin of Adam and Eve, human
sin affects the goodness of creation and introduces chaos into the beauty of
God’s creation. That chaos culminates
with the destruction of the world through the flood. As we heard in the first reading, God uses
the chaos of the flood to wash away sin and recreates everything. He enters into a covenant, promising a
faithful love that will ultimately defeat chaos with order and beauty.
The Gospel
of Mark is also about beginnings. Jesus
begins his public ministry when he emerges from the waters of baptism in the
Jordan River, with the Holy Spirit hovering over him and the voice proclaiming
that he is God’s Beloved Son.
Immediately, that same Spirit drives Jesus into the chaos of the
desert. It was in that desert that his
ancestors had been tested about their identity as God’s Chosen People. Time and time again, they failed the
test. Jesus is also tested by the devil,
who specializes in chaos, in tearing things apart. Even in the midst of wild beasts, Jesus
remains faithful to his true identity and mission. He emerges from that place of testing to
proclaim the Gospel of God. He will
continue to battle the forces of the devil and all who thrive on chaos, until
he finally defeats them with his death on the cross.
The Letter
of Saint Peter uses the flood to help us understand our baptism. Just as the flood washed away the chaos that
resulted from sin, so the waters of baptism washed away our sins and made us
one with Christ. That is why the Elect
(those preparing for Baptism) are so important in Lent. As Jesus was tested in his forty day stay in
the desert, so our Elect will be tested in this forty day season of Lent, as
they prepare for the waters of baptism to wash away their sins and as they
emerge one with Christ. During this
season, most of the Rites of the Christian Initiation of Adults will focus on
them, as we take them through the three Scrutinies and present the Lord’s
Prayer and the Creed to them. We will
also anoint them with the Oil of the Catechumens to strengthen them in their
battle with the evil one, just as angels ministered to Jesus in the desert.
We who are
baptized pray for them. As we walk with
them to the waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil, we humbly admit that we have
not always kept our baptismal promises.
Having been saved from the chaos of the evil one, we have made choices
which introduce new chaos into our lives, affecting ourselves and those around
us. We use these forty days to do
penance – through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We embrace these disciplines so that we can
draw near more closely to the Lord Jesus, who has already won the victory for
us. Even though our Lenten penances can
become like wild beasts sometimes, threatening to tear us apart, we can keep
our eyes open to those angels who will minister to us and sustain us.
This Season
of Lent has the potential to bring us closer to Christ as individuals. The Lord’s merciful love restores order, no
matter how many times our bad choices cause chaos. But, we are not alone in Lent. The Letter of Saint Peter reminds us that the
ark became the safe haven for Noah, his family, and all the animals, carrying
them through the chaos of the flood. We
also have an ark. We often refer to the
Church as the “Bark of Peter,” carrying us through the chaos of this
world. The Letter of Peter reminds us
that we are secure remaining in the Church, in that ark. There is no doubt that there is incredible
chaos in our world, over which we have not control. As we allow Christ to help us deal with the
chaos of our individual lives, we trust that he will remain with us all in the
ark that is his Church.
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