Homily for the Week March 1, 2009

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, 2009
First Reading: Genesis 9:8–15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4–5, 6–7, 8–9
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18–22
Gospel: Mark 1:12–15

''Change we can believe in!'' This was the rallying cry of President Obama's campaign. A Christian's campaign slogan might be a little bit different: Believe so we can change!
Those preparing to enter the Catholic Church as adults go through a process of instruction and change. I have been privileged to help many persons prepared themselves to become Catholics. For most, the process of preparing for acceptance into the Church through baptism is definitely a life-changing experience and, in spiritual language, a ''transforming experience.'' They not only learn about the what it means to believe, but more importantly how believing changes them. Receiving what are called the sacraments of initiation of Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion makes them one with the believing community gathered here in church every weekend.

The movie Tender Mercies is about Mac Sledge, an alcoholic country music composer and singer. At the beginning of the story we see that alcoholism has left Mac a down-and-out has-been. After a night of drinking, Mac wakes up somewhere in Texas at a run-down, roadside hotel and gas station. The owner of the hotel is a young widow named Rosa Lee whose husband had been killed in Viet Nam, leaving her a widow at 18 with an infant son. She informs Mac that his companion has left him. Mac asks Rosa Lee if he can stay and work off the debt for his room. Rosa Lee agrees. Mac later asks Rosa Lee if he can stay on and continue working for her for room and board. She agrees, as long as he doesn't drink while he's working. Slowly the two fall in love, and the widow's love for Mac does what love can: it transforms him.

Eventually, Mac and the widow's young son are baptized. On the way home from the church, the boy Sonny is happy in his baptism. He asks if Mac can see any change in him. Mac replies simply, ''Not yet.'' Sonny then asks if Mac feels any different. Mac replies simply, ''Not yet.'' Then he sings the old song Wings of a Dove.

Life-giving water is for us a symbol of many good things such as cleansing and refreshment. But these are not the first thoughts about water by the people in the Bible. For them, water was chaos and death. God created dry land, a sign of His control over the chaos -- water -- that covered the earth. Later, the Egyptians chasing the Israelites were killed by water.
Our first reading today recalls more destruction by water which is known as the Great Flood. This destruction spoke of a change and a new beginning. God was not pleased with how human beings had developed and thus decided to transform it. He began with one man, Noah, and his family, then destroyed everything not on the ark. God's plan and hope was that this one faithful family would be able to transform creation into what He had intended at the beginning.
God was so hopeful that He made an agreement between himself and Noah and Noah's descendants -- an agreement that would last forever. God vowed never again to destroy the earth by water. Noah sent a dove which came back with an olive branch. This meant that the flood had stopped and plants were now growing. And also Noah saw a rainbow in the sky.
But the symbol of God's promise is not exactly a rainbow. God set an archer’s bow in the sky, not a hunting bow made for war. To ''set'' a bow meant to hang it up. By hanging up His bow, God intended never to use it again. God did not hang the bow in the sky to remind us of this agreement with us. He put the bow in the sky to remind himself! God knew that we would not keep our agreement with him. His promise was that He would remember His part of the agreement.

The Second Vatican Council said, ''Baptism establishes a sacramental bond of unity which links all who have been reborn by it, but of itself baptism is only a beginning....'' Indeed, with Noah came a new beginning. Those who are baptized enjoy a new beginning. On this first Sunday of Lent it is good for us to remember that the word Lent means ''spring,'' and that every spring is a new beginning. We begin Lent remembering how Jesus began His mission and ministry. He went to the desert for 40 days to be ''tempted by Satan.'' Jesus wanted to prove that he could remain faithful to God his father.

During Lent each of us is called to remember our own journey through the waters of Baptism. When we were baptized we entered into an agreement with God. We did that by professing our Catholic faith in very much the same words that we will say in short time when we are inviting to renew our profession of faith.

You see, Lent is not so much about doing something extra for God, as it is about letting God do something extra for us. It is a time for turning to God for the help we need in dealing with the temptations we have to deal with every day. Whenever you throw a rope to Jesus for spiritual help be sure that you hold on tight to the rope with at least one hand. We sometimes call this process of our faith as renewal. As you begin Lent ask yourself:

What is most in need of spiritual renewal right now in your life?
Spend some time in prayer. Think of the times when you are most tempted. What have you done about them? What has worked and what has not worked?

Return to the good spiritual habits that meant a lot to you at one time and you gradually got away from them. Got back to the Lent that meant the most to you, and do the things that you may have given up.

Make your Lent 2009: Believe so that I can change.