Repent and Believe in the Gospel

02-21-2021Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

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 relationship 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.