Homily First
Sunday of Lent Year B: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Gen
9:8-15;
·
Ps 25:4-9;
·
1
Pet 3:18-22;
·
Mark 1:12-15
Covenant Renewal And God's Saving Grace!
On Ash Wednesday we all received the ashes,
and were introduced into a new liturgical season of Lent, a Church’s offering. Lent [as noted by Pope Francis in his
2018 message for lent, drawn from Matthew’s Gospel 24:12] is a time to be aware
that “because of increase of iniquity[lawlessness, he anomia], love of many will grow cold”. It is a time to watch out for false prophecies
of our time, and resist cold heatedness with prayer, fasting, repentance, and
almsgiving, spiritual and covenant renewals. It is a time to intensify our reliance on God's saving grace, listen more
and more, break and share God's words and his blessings,
generously with others.
Today’s Lenten Gospel, reminds us, among many other things, of
those 40 days Christ spent in the desert, fasting and praying. In it Jesus teaches us obedience to God and
the value of endurance, management of trials and temptations that we may temporally
face in this life on earth (Mark 1:12-15). As the angels ministered to Christ in the
desert, they will minister to us in our own moments of “desert experiences.”
Christ’s events in Lenten scriptures provide us moments for reflection, reconciliation not only with ourselves, but with our “seen neighbors” who leads us to our “unseen God.” It provides us an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries of charity, clear consciences, and works of mercies. During Lent, we recall our baptismal promises, and renew our covenant with God. It is also a moment of hope in the light and candle of Easter as stressed by Pope Francis.
Christ’s events in Lenten scriptures provide us moments for reflection, reconciliation not only with ourselves, but with our “seen neighbors” who leads us to our “unseen God.” It provides us an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries of charity, clear consciences, and works of mercies. During Lent, we recall our baptismal promises, and renew our covenant with God. It is also a moment of hope in the light and candle of Easter as stressed by Pope Francis.
Good
enough, the first and the second readings also point to God’s covenant with
Noah, the flood incidence, Noah’s saving Ark, and his saving promise through
the sign of the rainbow. It points to God’s abiding presence with his people,
with us through his Son, Jesus (Gen 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22)).
In
other words, Noah’s saving event foreshadows, of course, Christ’s saving
mission for those who keep the covenant. It is this mission that the psalmist sings
today, that {God’s ways] “your ways O Lord, are love and truth to those who
keep your covenant,” (Psalm 25:4-10), not matter the trials, the abnormalities the anomias of our times.
As we journey through this lent, and no matter
the long and dry deserts, and the trials of our times: false prophecies, lawlessness[he anomia] and
cold heartedness, as stressed by Pope Francis, economic and material poverty, orchestrated
by some who manipulate the markets for personal and inordinate gains, violent,
wars and terrorist acts, may we not lose sight of the Grace of God of the
covenant of love, promises and fulfillment, mercy, forgiveness, charity and of
the joy that awaits us at Easter!
Reflection
Questions:
1.
Do you see Lent as
a moment of grace, almsgiving, prayer, penance, renewal of your covenant
relationship with God?
2.
What are your
challenges and desert experiences needing Christ-like resistance of today’s
Gospel?
3.
In what way do we
assist our neighbors overcome modern false prophecies, cold heartedness
and journey to renew their covenant with Christ?
