Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent

Homily for the
1st Sunday of Lent

Feb. 26, 2023
Rom 5: 12, 17-19
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

“By the transgression of the one man, death came to reign….  The abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life thru Jesus Christ” (Rom 5: 17).

St. Paul probably read Genesis literally.  One man named Adam sinned by disobedience and brought sin, and sin’s consequence, death, into the world.  Scripture scholars today aren’t so literal, but they agree that the sacred writer, the inspired author of Genesis, teaches that God didn’t create sin, God didn’t will sin, nor did God create death.  Rather, sin is the result of human choice, and sin separates us from the Creator who gives us life.  So Paul is right when he blames human transgression for death coming to rule over humanity—indeed, over all living creatures.

Death brought into the world by sin stands in contrast to immortality brought into the world by another human being, viz., Jesus Christ.  Thru Christ every man and woman may attain the gift of justification—a gift that God freely gives, the gift of coming into good standing, not sinful standing, before him.  By his humanity, by his suffering and cross, Jesus Christ invites us to come with him into God’s grace and be judged worthy of eternal life.  “Thru the obedience of one man, the many will be made righteous” (5:19).

“The many” is a biblical way of saying that this gift of Jesus Christ is open to everyone—not just a chosen, lucky few, not just the Jewish people—but everyone who chooses to come to Jesus for redemption.

That’s what Lent’s about, brothers and sisters:  reaffirming our choice to belong to Jesus.  At the Easter vigil, some believers will make that radical choice and enter the Church of Jesus Christ thru Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.  Those of us who were baptized and confirmed many years ago and who’ve received the Eucharist more times than we can count, on Easter we’ll reaffirm our commitment to Jesus Christ; we’ll reaffirm our conversion from sin, our rejection of Satan’s deceptions, and our determination to follow Jesus.  Like Jesus, we’ll all pass thru death at some point.  With him we hope to be raised up on the Last Day.