Lent, as from the very first centuries of the Church, was a time set for the preparation of the catechumens for Baptism. And those already baptized were invited to deepen their roots of faith renewing their adherence to the Lord by the renewal of the baptisimal promises during Easter Vigil.

Both the first and the second reading give us a hint to direct us to such a mystery. Noah is out of the ark, sees the rainbow, receive from God a promise not only for himself, but for all future generations. The waters of the Flood, waters of purification and death, waters from which emerges life ready for a covenant of peace with God, anticipate one of the meanings fo the new immersion: those who are baptized are purfied from their sins and from the vanity of their past lives, have buried in the water their adherence to the idols of this world, are free from ties with other faiths of religions, founded by men, and begin to look at God without fear, but with confidence and freedom. All this, thanks to Jesus Christ! Saint Peter confirms it with certainity (2^nd. Reading)! Jesus died to lead us to God, and is risen and ascended to heaven, so that, calling His Name we can be saved!

Reading the Holy Scriptures in the light of the experience of the Church, the apostle reminds us that the waters of the Flood are a symbol of Baptism.

Baptism is the point at which the desire and the will of God’s salvation meet with the positive answer of man. When a person accepts the One sent by the Father, Jesus Christ, comes to know Him through the Church and its life experience. If this person decides to adher with all its heart to the Son of God, the Church accepts her or him in its bosom. This happens when the "old" nature die in water and from the same water is born again, renewed by the Holy Spirit!

How are the catechumens prepared at this time? How are we to prepare ourselves for the renewal of our baptismal promises, so that God can renew us from within, so that our lives can witness His presence in the world?

Let us look at Jesus at the beginning of His ministry among His people. He obeys the Spirit that takes Him into the desert: in such a situation of solitude, weakness and renounciation, He stays forty days.

Jesus perseveres in prayer, self denial and contemplation of the Father for a long period, for a time already fixed by tradition. We too obey the biblical and ecclesiastical tradition: for forty days we are to persever in a fruitful and more committed prayer, followed by forms of fasting, renouncment to desires of the flesh. All this help in truth the death of our "old nature", make more true our prayer and prepares us from within to receive the spiritual grace of a renewed baptism.

In the desert Jesus overcomes the repeated temptations proposed by the enemy of God and man. St. Mark doesn’t tell us in which way these temptations presented themselves. We come to know it from the other evangelists, and from our experience. The temptations won by Jesus are those that want to distract us from accepting God’s way for us. The Father proposes the way of the cross, which is the way of His Son. We can easily find logical and prudential motivations to deny it. We tend to compromise with the world, with the ways of life that surround us. We justify behaviors that doesn’t distinguish us from those that adore idols and empty vanities. We are afraid to be set apart by others! The desert helps us so that we don’t find ourselves set apart by God!

During the forty days that lead us to the celebration of Easter, let us look for a moment of a true desert: time or days of solitude to stay in the presence of the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ! He is to form us from within, our heart, our desires and our will! He is to be the Father of our life, as He was of His Son! This is how the conversion demanded by Jesus is fulfilled, and we can enter the Reign of God which is present! From the waters of baptism we are born again as true sons and daughters of God!