Below is the full text of the homily delivered by Rev. Brillis Mathew for the First Sunday of Lent at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Readings of the Day:
First Reading: Genesis 9:8-15 | Responsorial Psalm: 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 | Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22 | Gospel: Mark 1:12-15
Today’s opening prayer, collect, is giving us a clear focus for this time of Lent. It says, “through the yearly observances of holy Lent, we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ.” The holy Church wants us to grow every day. For that reason, the Church beautifully planned the liturgy. Every season is a season for growth. As Cardinal Newman said, “growth is the only evidence of life.” We are called to grow in season and out of season. Especially during Lent, we have to find the riches hidden in Christ. In Colossians 2:3, St. Paul says, that all jewels of wisdom and insight are hidden in Christ. It is our duty to find the riches hidden in Christ.
Today’s readings, directly or indirectly, remind us of the beauty of Baptism. In the first reading, we heard from the book of Genesis, chapter 9, about how God renewed the covenant he made with the first man, Adam. Though he made it, we irrevocably broke it. But with God’s mercy and kindness, he renewed it through Noah. He found Noah a just person and saved him from the great flood, which shows how God saves us from the flood of the dangers of this world through the water of Baptism.
During this time, the Church wants us to prepare ourselves to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord through metanoia - change of heart, that is through repentance.
Today’s responsorial Psalm is a very beautiful Psalm for our reflection and prayer during this time of Lent. It says, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are God my savior. Lent is a wonderful time for all of us to refocus on the Word of God- readings. During this time, the Church wants us to prepare ourselves to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord through metanoia - a change of heart, that is through repentance. We will hear about this from the Gospel today, from the mouth of our good Lord, Jesus. We have to do this constantly in our life.
It is so important to refocus, reprioritize, and rejuvenate our spiritual life during this graceful time of Lent.
In today’s second reading, we heard from the first letter of St. Peter, explaining how Noah being saved through water prefigured Baptism and how God wants to sanctify us and wash us from all the iniquities of our life. The Word of God very clearly says that the purpose of Baptism, this washing, is not external, but internal. On Ash Wednesday, we heard the beautiful Word of God, Joel 2:12-13, that God wants our internal manifestation or change, not external. Our default mentality is to look at externals. There are times when we are only worried about what is happening externally, for example, our dress, our appearances, or what is happening externally around the altar. But we are unable to focus on what is happening on the altar. It is so important to refocus, reprioritize, and rejuvenate our spiritual life during this graceful time of Lent.
In today’s Gospel, unlike the other synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke), Mark presents the time that Jesus spent in the desert in very few words. There is a Latin saying, 'intelligenti pauca', which means that if we have the Spirit of God, real inspiration, we do not need many words. We understand deeply. Mark begins with “the Spirit drove.” I invite all of you to pause every time you read the Bible and see reference to the Spirit. It starts from Genesis 1:1-5, the Word of God says there was darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving. The Spirit of God is always moving. In Romans 8:14, St. Paul says that all those who are guided by the Spirit are children of God. We need to be moved by the Spirit, inspired by the Holy Spirit, guided by the Holy Spirit. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, which operates in our life. Perhaps during this time of Lent, we can ask, how is the Spirit moving in me? How is the Spirit fanning into flame all the good things that God has put into my heart?
The Word of God says that the Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert. It was not by mistake. It happened purposefully. And he remained in the desert for 40 days. I lived more than two decades of my life amid the desert (UAE, Dubai, Middle East region). Sometimes, one says that the desert is the place where we encounter all the difficulties and challenges. There are many challenges, even physical, in the desert. But here, what Scripture presents for all of us is that the desert is the place where we can rejuvenate our spiritual strength. When I was in Dubai, I used to go to the desert one or two days a month with my friends; that was a wonderful time, away from the busyness of life and all the concrete jungles. It is a time to renew our life. During this time of Lent, we are invited to encounter this desert experience.
Next, the Word of God says that Jesus was tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts - different types of temptations. We are all living amid temptations. None of us sitting here, including me, is excluded from temptations. If Jesus had to go through temptations, how about our situation? It is so nice to hear during Christmas, Emmanuel, 'God is with us'. Truly, God is with us. He came into this world to embrace everything. Not as a superman, or a robot. But he entered our lives first through the temptations that we are all experiencing in our daily lives.
The Word of God then says that angels ministered to Jesus. Remember that amid our temptations, challenges, difficulties, and the messiness of our lives, there are angels. God has given angels for us; otherwise, these beasts will swallow us completely. But we need to see the angels. The Psalmist says the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord. We have to fear the Lord so that the angel of the Lord will serve us, help us, support us, protect us. During this time of Lent, we have to experience that.
We will never be able to believe in the Gospel if we do not repent. Repentance is not an option. We need constant conversion in our life, daily conversion, daily repentance.
From there, we see that with the power of the Spirit, Jesus started his ministry. His first words were “repent and believe in the Gospel.” We will never be able to believe in the Gospel if we do not repent. Repentance is not an option. We need constant conversion in our life, daily conversion, and daily repentance. The focus of this time of Lent is to repent. If we cry, we will be able to laugh or smile. Tears precede our joy. During this Mass, we can pray that we will make use of this season. If we make use of it, we will be able to understand the riches, the jewels of wisdom, hidden in Christ. For that grace, during this Mass, we can pray.
“Christ in the Wilderness”
Moretto da Brescia