Jesus died for us - to redeem us from sin and offer us salvation - even though we didn't "deserve" it. The simple fact is, there is nothing we can do to "deserve" or "earn" salvation. That's why God gave us the gift of his only begotten son - a gift that came from his mercy. But during this season of Lent, we need to remember that action FOLLOWS belief. If we start with belief and acknowledge the gift of the Resurrection, then we'll have a strong desire to perform good works. We won't do it grudgingly, out of some sense of guilt or obligation. We'll do good things because we accept the gift of Jesus and helping others is the most natural, loving response to such a gift.

Through the Sacraments of Initiation, we are welcomed into the body of Christ and the new life promised through the Paschal Mystery. We might not understand the mind of God - but we don’t need to. Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and we accept both Christ and each other by living God’s “Laws of Love” every day of our lives.

Discerning the voice of God can be really difficult, especially when there are so many seemingly legitimate, logical people who are claiming to hold the “truth.” But no matter how charismatic or convincing someone sounds, we need to remain vigilant and continue to try to discern God’s true call. And when we hear God’s call, we need to be ready to respond, no matter what the world thinks. Ultimately, the judgment of others doesn’t matter because Jesus is our only judge… and all true Christians should listen to Jesus!

Water can wash us clean in more ways than one. The story of Noah demonstrates the awesome power of God - as well as God’s love for us, through the new covenant - but in Jesus we experience a different kind of flood. The Gospel message - the Good News - is that, by his resurrection, Jesus Christ has conquered death. He has redeemed us from sin and offers us eternal salvation. And all we have to do - all we have to do - is truly repent and follow our Baptismal call.

It could be argued that casting out a few people to protect the majority is a wise choice but it's a slippery slope. Far too often, we simply cast out people because we don't understand them. Whether they have an affliction we don't know how to cure or treat - or whether they have feelings and beliefs we don't understand - we find it easier to simply banish them and try to pretend they don't exist. St. Paul sought the good of the many - not by casting out the few but by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone! And that's exactly what Jesus did - and still does, through us and with the help of the Holy Spirit!

We don't completely understand God. God's ways are not our ways. We don't believe that suffering and tragedy is punishment from God - we understand that bad things can simply happen to the best of people - but we do believe that God can bless us in many ways. One way to be worthy of God's blessing is by freely sharing the Good News through our words and actions, ensuring that everyone knows the Father loves us all. But none of this is easy - it requires focus, energy, and resilience - so we have to take time to rest and recuperate in the presence of our Lord. We can recharge by taking time to pray and connect more fully with the Father!

It can be frustrating - even overwhelming at times - watching all of the madness infecting the world today. I watched, appalled, as people waved crosses and pictures of Jesus while they stormed the US Capital and chanted death threats. But people who support that - who preach that it’s the righteous, Christian thing to do - are the false prophets. Don’t listen to them! We’re called to live our best lives by staying oriented towards Christ. If we do that - if we live the Gospel every day through our words and actions - the Spirit will give us a hand because Jesus has the power and authority to overcome evil!

It doesn’t matter what we think of ourselves - how bad we’ve been or how many rotten choices we’ve made - God offers everyone love and forgiveness. Yes, we need to repent for any wrongs we’ve committed; but then we need to make changes in our lives. We have to live as if Jesus is coming today. Not tomorrow. Not a year from now. But TODAY! And when Christ calls - when he asks us to lay down our nets - lay down the ordinary everyday things we’re doing - and help him share the Good News, we need to be ready to do it. It may seem like a radical choice at the time - but that’s okay because we understand that being a true disciple of Christ is very radical!

We have so many worldly desires and goals - things we really want to do and accomplish - and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But we can’t confuse our worldly desires with God’s call. And just because some of our worldly goals aren’t in conflict with God’s call, doesn’t mean they’re part of what Jesus is calling us to do. We should strive to be the best version of ourselves - the version of ourselves that obeys the commands of Jesus to love the Lord and love others as ourselves. If we strive to be the most loving, caring, just version of ourselves, we’ll be open to the Holy Spirit and to the true call of the Lord.

Our savior - the quiet servant the Lord promised to send - has arrived and he will persevere in his quest to bring peace and justice to the world. But even though he can't be broken or snuffed out, he's not supposed to do it alone. Through his example and by our Baptism, we are called to evangelize. We are called to bring the light of Christ to the world - to heal hurts, right wrongs, and set captives free! We're called to share the Good News, and we really do have good news to share! The awesome news that Christ came to bring peace and justice to everyone - not just a select few!