REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL

Lent is the time of year we devote to scrutinizing our lives in the light of our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today’s readings are a nice shorthand catechism of what our baptized lives mean. As Noah passed through the waters of the flood to a covenant with God, so did we enter into a covenant, a promised relation-ship with God through our baptism.

Peter’s letter gives an explicit explanation of what our baptism means: it is an appeal we make to God for a clear conscience. How do we obtain this clear conscience? The words proclaimed by Jesus immediately following his temptation show us the way: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). It might be a good spiritual exercise to keep these readings before us throughout the entire season of Lent, a means to help us return to a life lived by our baptismal promises.