In Lent we often speak about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. But Lent is also a search for truth: not just ideas about God, but a deeper knowledge of God himself, and a clearer decision about whether we will live as his people.
In today’s Scriptures, the Lord reveals two great truths. First, God binds himself to his people in a covenant—a promise he began with Abraham that he intended not for Abraham alone, but for every generation, including our own. God commits himself to us: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”
God Is Eternal, Present, and Living
Second, Jesus reveals who he is. The authorities around him debate, question, and resist—but Jesus is not confused about his identity. He speaks the divine name: “I AM.” He is not simply saying that he existed before Abraham; he is claiming what God revealed to Moses—that God is eternal, present, and living. Jesus is truly the Lord.
Today we stand where that crowd stood. We may not see what they saw, but we hear the same Word. Faith is what steadies us when questions rise and when life gets rough: trusting the Lord, choosing him again, and letting his truth shape our decisions—at home, at work, and in the quiet places of the heart.
When God speaks of covenant, it helps to remember what real commitment looks like. Many agreements in life are temporary and limited. But the promises of marriage point to something deeper: a total gift of self, faithful in sacrifice and steady in love. God’s covenant is like that—only more faithful still—because God never stops seeking his people.
God's Commitment to His People
So, in this Lenten search for truth, let us remember what God has already shown us in Jesus: mercy for the sinner—“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore”—and strength for the weak, as he heals the blind and raises up the crippled. Lent is a good time to bring our darkness to him in confession, and our needs to him in prayer, trusting that he never turns away a humble heart.
The truth of Jesus is inexhaustible, but today two truths are enough to carry with us: God has committed himself to us in covenant, and Jesus is not merely a teacher—he is the great “I AM.” Let us ask for the grace, in this Eucharist, to renew our “yes” to him today.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Leo's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center today. You can watch the entire Mass on the Family Rosary Video streams channel on YouTube.
- Join the Rosary (11:30 am ET) and Mass (Noon ET) livestreams on the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page, Monday – Friday. Invite your friends and family to pray with you as well.
