Lent 1’s Gospel

How about the contrasts?

Water and wilderness

he comes and he is driven

the Spirit’s immediacy and long forty days

the voice of being pleased and the tempting voice

baptizer John and his crowds and the wild beasts and taming angels

the release of Jesus at large in the world and the arrest of John

the time in the desert and the time fulfilled

the aloneness of the retreat and the God come near

the bad news about John and the Good News to be believed

we do not so much follow Jesus into the tearless, thirsty tracks so much as Christ follows us into our desert where we have deserted him

Lent 1’s Genesis 9 Reading

God’s second flood is the blood of his Son

an ark was needed in the first flood in the second the raft of two pieces of wood was for the drowning of God in the world’s sin

compare the bows… Noe’s thrust upward releasing an arrow lifting his God-given thanks to God

and the downward bow-bend of Christ, our Eucharist, in the darkness of the clouds, the saving reign of God in death

Prayer

In the desert of the daily we know we are surrounded both by wild beasts and angels.  Show us only the Son who conquered the evil angel who is driven by his love and the Holy Spirit to be among us.  In Christ we believe and therefore pray his promises.  Amen.