Second Sunday in Lent
Cycle A
March 5, 2023
One of the most dramatic scenes in Catholic liturgy comes at the Easter Vigil when adults are baptized. They come up out of the water dripping wet, and after leaving to change, re-enter the church in their white baptismal robes.
Now in my parish, the baptismal moment at the Easter Vigil is a lot less dramatic, but I always like to look at the faces of the newly baptized. There’s always a special glow–seemingly inside as well as out–as these new Christians experience the transformation that comes to them.
Only later I suspect, do they begin to realize all the implications of that change. Perhaps that’s why our liturgy gives us today’s First Reading–the story of the call of Abraham to leave his homeland and his family, and set out for the promised land. Abraham’s response transformed his whole life. He began a long journey, perhaps leading him at times to wonder if he was on the right path.
In baptism we too, say yes to God–a choice that transforms our lives, setting us on a journey of faith that continues to this day. As we “journey” through this Lent, let’s recall our baptismal commitment and let it reflect in our words and deeds and even in our faces at times.
