Our reflection on this first Sunday of Lent is centered on the following readings:  Genesis 9: 8 - 15, I Peter 3: 18 - 22 and Mark 1: 12 - 15.  This reflection will be better understood if you read the sections of the Bible mentioned above.

The first reading tells us about the love of God expressed in the promise made to Noah after the flood: "the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all things of flesh."  Throughout the Bible we see that God keeps the promises made to humanity but humanity (Israel) has time and again failed to keep promises made to God.  God promised to give Abraham a Son and this was done; God promised (Moses) Israel a land they will call home and this was done.  On the other hand Israel (humanity) promised to worship God alone but this was broken.  And even today we often fail to keep the promises we made at baptism.

This leads us to the gospel where we see Jesus going out into the desert after his baptism.  A desert in this case can mean going away from daily routine or to a place of solitude where the conditions enable us to be close to the centre of our being: God.  Jesus is said to have been in the desert for forty days - "forty" symbolizes a generation or in this case a long time.  Jesus was tempted by the evil one but he did not give into the temptation or give up his mission of saving humanity.

Like Jesus we are expected not to give into temptation or give up our faith in our God. So often we have worshipped the idols of pleasure, pride and greed. In such occasions we are overcomed by the evil one for whom Jesus has come to save us because he has said: "the time has come, and the kingdom of God is close at hand;  repent and believe the Good News."

As we continue our forty days of Lent, let us move on with the assurance that the protection of God in the face of all threats of the evil one is always present.  May God protect us and help us to be in His Kingdom now and forever.  Amen.