Mark 1:9-15

Lent 1 - Year B

Mark 1:9-15

Last week we heard these “Beloved” words on a mountain top. Today we move back in time and lower in elevation to the entrance to the Dead Sea.

Wherever we are, it is holy ground. Wherever we are, we are beloved.

Simple concepts difficult to embody. We keep getting sidetracked by what feels like wilderness times. Every temptation is a variation on “how might I lose my sense of belovedness this time?”

Thank goodness Sundays were never a part of the penitential approach to spirituality. Even if our experience of life is six-sevenths penance, there is still a kernel of belovedness available to grow into the fruit of our life.

Remember on these Sundays that the goal of Lent is deeper discipleship, not restricted living.

“It is birth time. G*D is present in my life. Make a difference. Trust hope.” [New Revised John]