1st Sunday of Lent B, 21 Feb 2021; Gn 9:8-15; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15
Our first reading, today, is at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights that Noah, and his family, spent in the ark with all those animals and I bet they were happy to get out of there. God promised that those in the ark would survive and God also promised that a great flood would never destroy the world ever again.
As the story says: God put the rainbow in the clouds as a reminder, of God’s promise. It was a guarantee that at the end of 40 days of preparing there would be something special.
And it is not the only time that there was a 40-day period of preparation followed by something special. Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days before Moses received the 10 commandments from God. The Prophet Elijah fasted for 40 days on his journey to mount Horeb where God appeared to Elijah.
Even Jesus took part in a 40-day period of preparation. We hear that in the Gospel today.
The spirit brought Jesus into the desert, the wilderness, where the devil tried to tempt Jesus and at the end of the 40 days, that Jesus spent in the wilderness, the special thing that happened was that Jesus began his earthly ministry for us.
God had promised to send a Messiah – a savior. Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise but it wasn’t until after Jesus’ baptism and after his 40 days in the wilderness that Jesus began his mission.
We have begun our own 40-day period of preparation, Lent, but it is not just a preparation for Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday comes and goes every year. Our 40-day preparation of Lent is a preparation of our hearts and minds to help us grow closer to God and to each other.
It’s 40 days of opportunity to improve our relationship with each other, and with God. It’s a guarantee that at the end of 40 days, if we have done as much as we are able, to pray, to fast, to give, to forgive, and to help those in need, then our hearts and minds can be changed for the better. It’s also a guarantee that with a little effort, and maybe some sacrifice, our very lives can be changed for the better as well.
After 40 days of Lent we will celebrate – acknowledging all that our savior, Jesus, did for us through his suffering and death, dedicating ourselves to follow Jesus’ example of love and service to all, and rejoicing not only because of Jesus’ resurrection but because of what it means – that Jesus opened the doorway to heaven for all of us – giving us an opportunity to share eternal life with God.
We have 40 days of Lent to prepare our hearts and minds through prayer, fasting, penance, and the giving of our time, talents, and treasures – to benefit ourselves, and others, on our way to Easter and, hopefully, also on our way to a better relationship with God and with each other.
But it’s up to us to make the most of these 40 days of Lent. Maybe, this year, Lent can be sort of the “spiritual” vaccine we have been waiting for, that can bring “spiritual” healing, after such a terrible year. Something tells me that most of us, even if we haven’t gotten our Covid Vaccine yet, can probably use a “spiritual” shot in the arm right about now as a booster, for our Lenten journey toward something special, with our Lord Jesus, at Easter and with each other all year round.