Weekly Reflections for March 5, 2023

Here we are in the Second Week of Lent. Time flies! Let’s commit ourselves to make the most of this holy season. Looking back through salvation history, God has always loved us and wanted the best for us. We read about it today from Genesis. In the Old Testament, we see God make one covenant after another with His people to save them from death. Yetlin, a man broke those covenants again and again, choosing his way—sin—over God’s way, that is righteousness. And with sin comes death.

The Lord loves us and wants us to be with Him now and forever. He wants us to love Him back and enjoy a great friendship. But it can be difficult. Looking at the world around us, we can see sin as clear as day. But sin can also be very subtle. If we take the Word of God seriously, we know that everyone is inclined to sin if left to his own devices. Yes, everyone can love and do good, but the only one who can completely stop sin is Christ. Acknowledging something like this requires some real humility.

Jesus knew it too even though He was completely free from sin. Throughout His public ministry, Our Lord remained humble, receiving baptism despite no need for it, going out of His way to help the most hated members of society, and submitting Himself even to death on the cross though He was completely innocent. The Gospels are full of examples of this humility. And it was all for our sake.

Lent can help us to be like Jesus Christ. As Catholics, that’s what we should aim for every day. Lent is more than a symbolic imitation of Our Lord’s 40-day pilgrimage into the Judean desert. Its liturgies can help bring us to the fullness of Christ and all its goodness. Recognizing our need for salvation, bringing the kingdom of heaven down as to earth as Jesus did with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and taking a moment to realize how much we want to be with Him now and forever, Lent prepares us for the blessings of Easter and beyond.

So, make the most of the opportunity this Lent. The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord will be here before you know it. Let’s get ready for the glory of God!

Chris Brooks