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Reflections
for Sunday, February 26, 2012
Lent is a time of knowing more profoundly God's love for us. The purpose
of any good works that we do in Lent is to open our hearts more completely
to God's love. Just as the Book of Genesis reminds us once more that we
have a covenant with God and God has a covenant with us, so also today's
Gospel recalls that covenant between God and us. The Kingdom of God is the
expression of this sacred covenant.
When today's Gospel tells us to repent and believe in the gospel, we need
to be aware that the phrase could not mean at all the written gospel,
because it did not yet exist. When our Scriptures refer to the Gospel, it
can be translated as the Good News. The good news is that God has chosen
to send His only Son into the world so that we can have life through that
Son. That is Good News.
God loves us. That is Good News. God forgives us. That is Good News.
God invites us to share His life. That is Good News. No matter how often
we refuse God's invitation, He continues to invite us. That is good News.
No matter how often we sin, God is willing to forgive us. That is Good
News.
Lent is not about thinking we are bad and beating ourselves up. It is
about know that God loves us and invites us to know the Good News and to
live it. It is always invitation and never condemnation.
In Lent we are invited to do penance, to change our lives, to believe in
the Good News. This can be and should an absolutely joyful experience
because we know that we are preparing for the joy of celebrating Christ's
Resurrection.
Let us embrace the small discipline of Lent so that our hearts will
rejoice even more as we celebrate Christ's Resurrection at Easter, the
great Passover, the great event of all history, which unites us to the
Divine Love.
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Genesis 9.8-15
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3.18-22
Gospel: Mark 1.12-15
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Reflections are available for the following Sundays:
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