Sunday, February 21, 2010 - First Sunday of Lent

We recite the "Creed" at every Mass, and most of us know it, or at least parts of it by heart. In the first reading of our Lenten Sunday series, we read the creed of the Ancient Israelite, and we see that it connects the ability to give an offering with the past salvation, by God, of the Hebrews from slavery. This is the Tradition (with a capital "T") that gives the believer a rootedness in the earth and hope for tomorrow. In the second reading, St. Paul lets the Gentiles know that they, too, are beneficiaries of this freeing God. And in the Gospel of the Temptations of Jesus, we see the Tradition guides us to be men and women of depth who bring freedom and dignity to the earth—it's NOT just "about us." It isn't just "what I want"—be that more wealth or power or security or fame. The Tradition lays a claim on our lives. What is it asking of you, today?