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As we begin Lent, here in these first few days, we have heard this statement from Jesus a couple of times now, “Repent and Believe in the Gospel.”

I touched on this briefly on Ash Wednesday, but I want to return to it because it is so important. First, it is important to realize that here in Gospel of Mark, the first thing Jesus says when he speaks, is “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  

 

So because it is the first thing He says we know it is important right there.  He has spent His whole life thinking of the opening line, and this is it. “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Also there is an important word study here. This word “Repent” in Greek is Metanoia which can mean a number of things.  Let’s look closer at it.

Metanoia means a change of mind or heart or purpose, to see differently.  We often translate metanoia as repent, as was done here, which we of course think means to repent from our sin, and it does mean that, especially in the sense that we change our mind about these things we are doing which are harmful, harmful to ourselves or harmful to others.

What is important is that we see differently, that we see with the mind of God, that we recognize this is the time of fulfillment and the Kingdom of God is at hand.  

Often we think the Kingdom is up there, in heaven, but no, it is here, it is now, where we can grasp it, and we do grasp it to a degree, when we receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist, here at Mass.

It is important that we see the things of God.  Bishop Robert Barron said, “Christianity is, above all, a way of seeing.  Everything else in Christian life flows from and circles around the transformation of vision.  Christians see differently, and that is why their prayer, their worship, their action, their whole way of being in the world have a distinctive accent and flavor.”

“Repenting” as “seeing differently,” and that is why so many people were attracted to Christianity at its beginning, despite the risks of dying at the hands of Roman soldiers, despite the persecutions of the State, the work and the love of Christians could not be ignored.

To repent is so much deeper than to just change our actions, it is at the level of our being, it is almost a soul transformation where all of our senses are opened up to the presence of Jesus Christ in our midst.

And when we are able to recognize that, we are able to see and know and perceive with a mind of trust.  So often we view everything through a mind of fear, what happens if I lose control of this? What if I don’t get that?  What if I fail?  Fear drives so many of our actions, if we are honest with ourselves.

But fear lives on the surface level, and we need to go deeper, much deeper, even past knowing Jesus is in our midst... it is knowing who we are, a beloved child, a beloved son or daughter of God, created in His image and likeness.

This is the center of who we are, at the foundation of our existence, we are one with the divine power that continually creates and sustains the universe, we are held and cherished by the infinite love of God.

When we know that, when we believe that, when we trust in that and can rest in that, it is there that we are safe, or it is there that we are saved.  Our baptism has saved us, because it was at that point that we became members of the family of God, and knowing we are saved, safe and loved, that drives out fear.

I’d like to give you an example of this seeing differently, and the fear that it can overcome. Ever since the beginning of the parish mission now two weeks ago, I am seeing differently.  Whenever I talk to people, when I hear about their ailments - physically, mentally, emotionally - I am thinking about if they need healing spiritually, and if that will free them physically.

Now, is every physical or mental or emotional problem related to something spiritual?  Probably not, I mean, if someone spent too much time outside last weekend and got frostbite, I have a hard time thinking that was a result of some spiritual evil, it was just silly on their part.

But yesterday, I was talking to a priest friend who has some physical problems which have been going on for a few years and I said, has anyone ever prayed over you for this?  And he said no.

Now, at this point, I am fearful, I am afraid of two things: first that he is going to outright reject me and this notion - I have already had some priest friends do that to me in the last week as I have talked about our healing mission.  But second I am fearful that, if he allows me to pray with him, that it won’t work, that he won’t be healed physically.

But, at the same time, I have seen too much to let those fears stop me.  Even though I didn’t learn much about this healing ministry in seminary, through my ongoing formation I have been learning about it, God has been leading me towards it, slowly.  

About a year and a half ago, at the Annual Baby Priest Convention (it’s actually called the Newly Ordained Convention but I think it’s funnier to call us Baby Priests), Sr. Miriam James came to Iowa and talked to us about how our own physical healing goes with our spiritual healing, so that was eye opening to me.

And then last year I went on retreat with Fr. Ubald who led me and one of my other priest friends in reflecting on what the Holy Spirit was doing in the early church and is still doing today, so that was eye opening to me too.

Then we invited this parish mission on healing in, and even though it wasn’t completely comfortable, I was open to it based on what I had been learning and how the Spirit has been moving in my life, and at our mission I saw physical healings, which was completely eye opening to me.

I cannot deny what I saw, and that has me seeing differently, so despite my fears with my priest friend, I asked him if he wanted me to pray over him... And he did, so I prayed over him much like the other night here, and later he reported that he was feeling better, but at the same time recognized that there was some more spiritual healing that was needed on his part. 

So neither of my fears were warranted, and even if they had come true, how could I not believe in what I saw?  How could I not believe in what Jesus Christ has done with me and through me and wants to continue to do?  We believe it is Jesus doing the healing after all.

So, this word Believe - from our original phrase “Repent, and believe in the gospel” - it is not so much to adhere to a set of propositions, but rather to let go of the dominating fear that causes us so much anxiety and worry and doubt.  It causes us to grasp for the things of the world, rather than the things of heaven.

The challenge, it seems to me, is that the things of heaven aren’t as visible, and the need to be saved is so far away.  So we grow comfortable in our warm houses, secure and safe for right now, with little thought to the things of heaven, so we grasp at the here and now, what we can see and touch and feel.

That is why we often try to take control and grasp at the present, we forget what God has done for us in the past and we let our fear tell us He won’t be there again the next time.  But God loves us, unconditionally, and he is the one that will save us and keep us safe, especially when he is calling us out of our comfort zone, we are called to trust Him.  And that is why we have to see differently, seeing more than just the things of this world, seeing God in every aspect of our lives.

To believe and to have faith is to give control of our lives to God on every level. My encouragement this Lent is to open yourselves to seeing differently, seeing God and His love for you in every situation, putting aside the fear that wants to hold you back, and rest safely in knowing your true identity is as His beloved child.