HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

First Sunday of Lent (Year B)

Feb 22, 2015

3702

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of Genesis (9:8-15)

God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the Earth."

God added: "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. When I bring clouds over the Earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will 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."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9)

(R)Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth, to those who keep your covenant.

Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me in your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R)

Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old. In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. (R)

Good and upright is the Lord; thus He shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice and teaches the lowly His way. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the first Epistle of Peter (3:18-22)

Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the day of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the Gospel according to Mark (1:12-15)

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, 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."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Lent is a wonderful time that brings us closer to God. It provides us with the opportunity to renew our relationship with God and others. It is a forty day journey to the memorial of the Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection. Traditionally we begin the Lenten journey with the imposition of ashes, as a reminder of just how fragile our lives really are. We are dust and to dust we shall return. We are also reminded that we are sinners and, that we must turn from our sin and turn to God. However, because of our sinful nature we are totally unable to save ourselves. We therefore need someone who has the power to save us. Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus who is sinless and perfect has taken on our sin and paid the penalty for it once for all. Nevertheless during this journey the Church recommends fasting or abstinence, prayers and works of charity as penance for our own sin and other people's sin.

Today's gospel story reminds us that we are not alone on this journey. We journey with Jesus. Mark writes that the Spirit of God drove Jesus into the desert to fast and pray and to be tempted by Satan. It was the same Spirit who came upon him at his baptism. Both at baptism and during temptation Jesus willingly allowed himself to be like any of us even though he was the Son of God. He was in the desert alone by himself. At the same time, he was not alone. He still continued to enjoy fellowship with God. That's why the angels ministered to him throughout his time in the desert. During the time spent in the desert, Jesus experienced real suffering and was engaged in a real battle with a real enemy but God guarded him from all harm and dangers because of his obedience to Him. After the desert experience, Jesus went to Galilee and preached the good news of God. He proclaimed that Israel's long wait for God's promises would soon be fulfilled. However, they were to repent and believe in the gospel first.

As we enter into the first week of the Lenten season Mark calls our attention to two things.

Jesus' temptation is a consolation to us. All of us experience the lure of evil. We cannot escape temptation, but when it comes, we can resist it, that is, say "no" to it. As we struggle with temptation we can also be certain that Jesus can identify with us in our struggle and our loneliness. Moreover, He will send His angels to guard us from all harm and danger.
Jesus' preaching is an invitation to us to truly repent and believe in the gospel. Real repentance is not just being sorry for or regretting the consequences of sin but also hating or feeling sorrowful because of the sin itself. But sadly many tend to continue to live in sin as long as they are able to escape the consequences of sin. So if we say we are sorry for our sin let us truly repent for our sin. We must not just repent for our sin but also believe in the gospel. Believing in the gospel simply means to take Jesus at his word. We must believe that God is the kind of God that Jesus is talking about. We must believe that God so loves the world that He will make any sacrifice to bring us back to Himself. We must believe that all that Jesus says does not just sound true but is really true.

Let us utilize the coming days to draw closer to God. Let us quietly open ourselves to God and prayerfully offer to Him all the sacrifices we make during this time. Let us listen more attentively to the good news of God in the coming days. Let us truly repent for our sins and make ourselves ready for the fullness of grace brought forth through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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