THE RICH SPIRITUALITY OF THE SEASON OF LENT

Today the Church celebrates the first Sunday of lent, a new liturgical season that began with Ash Wednesday. Lent commemorates the forty days Christ spent in the desert immediately after his baptism. It is a great moment of retreat for the Church as a whole and as individuals. In view of this, today’s liturgy presents to us the rich spirituality of the season of lent. First, it presents the covenant of God with man in the Old Testament (OT), God’s covenant not to destroy man by water anymore. Second, is the realization of this covenant to save man through the water of baptism as seen in the second reading and lastly is the triumph of good over evil in the person of Christ, after his forty days of fasting in the wilderness.

In God’s plan to save humanity from evil in the world, he entered into covenant with man on various instances. God initially made a covenant with Abraham, which was the sign of circumcision and was limited to the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 17:8). God also made a covenant with Moses, which entailed the fidelity of the people of Israel to the Law (Ex. 19:5). In the first reading of today, we have the famous story of Noah and the flood. God established a new covenant with Noah and his descendants, “…never again shall all flesh be cut by waters of flood, and never again shall there be flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 8:11). This covenant was sealed with a rainbow as a sign of God’s faithfulness. Each time this sign appears in the cloud, it reminds us of God’s covenant, his mercy and judgments. The rainbow serves to remind us, but more importantly, it serves to remind God of his promise not to destroy humanity with flood. If not for this promise made by God, what would have been of us with the nature of immorality, corruption and all sorts of evil in our generation? Are we better than the people of the world in the time of Noah or worse than them?

In the second reading, Peter reminds us of the flood in the days of Noah and how few were saved through water and the covenant that followed suits. He reminds us of God’s new covenant with us through Christ, which is realized in baptism, through which we are purified and restored to God. Peter presents this covenant as “the baptism that saves us, not as removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience” (1Peter 3:21-22). The flood/water in the first reading is taken to be the Old Testament purification rite, a way of purifying the earth from its sinful and corrupt nature in the story of Noah. Similar vein, we have this purification rite through our baptism with water. In baptism, we also have the profession of faith, which serves as the new covenant God makes with us, to reject Satan, his works and empty promises just as Christ did in the Gospel of today when tempted by the devil after his fasting and prayers for forty days.

In the Gospel pericope, we were told the Spirit led Christ to the wilderness, he was there for forty days and was tempted by Satan. This brings to mind, the spirituality of this season. Being led or driven by the Spirit is an indication that all Christ did while on earth was through the prompting and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. From birth, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, his public ministry was realized through the power of the Holy Spirit and at death on the cross, he gave up the Spirit. He never walked alone.

In order to carry out the plan of God to save humanity, he stayed in the wilderness for forty days, which represent a long period. It indicates the necessary time for something new that will happen, such as: the promise of rain to Noah for forty days and nights that will purify or wash the earth from its sinful and corrupt nature; Moses staying up on the mountain for forty days and nights with nothing to eat nor drink just to receive the stone tablets of the covenants; it represents the forty days journey of Elijah to mount Sinai; and this long period of time is also represented by the forty years of the Israelite’s journey to the promise land. Christ’s fasting for forty days is a preparation for his mission, which is something new to humanity and after his resurrection, he stayed forty days before his Ascension to heaven. Hence, forty indicates an important period in our journey of faith, particularly this season of lent.

Finally, in the temptation narrative of Mark, he is so direct that he did not present the dialogue between Jesus and Satan in his Gospel. Christ going into the wilderness signifies a place of emptiness and isolation. As such, we like Christ shall lack comfort, convenience and consolation this season of lent. We will need to give up many things in order to travel light on these forty days journey. As Satan in the wilderness tempted Christ, we too shall be tempted by the devil this season in various ways. Let us remember that the devil tempts us through the most beautiful things around us. The devil will tempt us through our families, friends and neighbours. Know it that the devil is a coward, he attacks during our weakest moments, when he knows our resistance to sin is very weak. That is why; we must stand up to him, strong in faith and good works with the ingredients that spices up this season: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. May God deliver us from all that is evil and lead us not into temptation through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Have a Grace Filled Lenten Season!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ