The water of the flood prefigured Baptism, which saves you now. 1 Peter 3:18-22
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
Ashes and rainbows make a strange combination. Ashes are dirty, messy, and ugly. Rainbows, on the other hand, are beautiful and inspiring. But we encounter them both at the beginning of Lent this year. On Wednesday, ashes were smudged on our foreheads as a sign of our mortality and sinfulness. Today we hear that God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of the covenant with us. As we begin this season of Lent, let us recognize both truths: we are always in need of repentance, but God stands ever waiting to forgive us. As ashes remind us to repent of our sins, may rainbows remind us of God’s eternal forgiveness.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
After the Great Flood, God made a covenant with us. Never again would a flood destroy the whole earth. Centuries later, God sent Jesus as the new covenant. As we hear in the second reading, Jesus suffered for our sins to lead us to God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus emerges from forty days in the desert, proclaiming that this is the time to repent and believe. Let us heed his message as we listen to God’s word.
Reflections
The author of Genesis does not use the word “rainbow” to describe the object God sets in the sky after the Great Flood. No, the word we see repeatedly is “bow,” as in “bow and arrow.” When God says, “I set my bow in the clouds,” what God is doing is unilaterally disarming (Genesis 9:13). In effect God is saying, “You have just seen the power I have to destroy all life on earth, but now I am promising you that I will never do it again; in fact, I will transform this weapon of aggression into a thing of beauty.” When we commit to peaceful, nonviolent action, we make ourselves vulnerable, but this is exactly what God does in making this covenant. May we be as willing as God is to do so.
By the waters of the flood the world was transformed. By the waters of baptism we are transformed. God established a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and all living creatures, transforming humanity’s relationship with God. We enter into a covenant in baptism, transforming our relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we journey through these forty days, let us open ourselves to the transformative grace of God in our lives.
Mark tells us precious little about Jesus’ forty days in the desert: no details of Satan’s temptations, as we hear from Matthew and Luke. But he mentions that Jesus “was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him” (Mark 1:13). We too may find ourselves beset by “wild beasts” within and without as we try to resist temptations. Let us look to the angels in our lives who care for us, who offer their occasional assistance when we need it or their constant support throughout our trials. Better yet, make us angels who minister to others when they undergo difficulties or trauma and feel deserted and in need.
Question of the Week
How will I minister to others during these forty days of Lent? Who is in need of my help?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
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Offerings
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