I really needed this week’s second reading right now. The eighth chapter of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible because of how reassuring it is. And we can all use a little reassurance right now.

This week’s second reading brings our attention to the battle that rages in each of our hearts, the battle between light and darkness. It’s important to note that the war has ended and Jesus has won. But just like in any war, battles often continue after the ceasefire. So it is in our hearts.

Who would you die for? Would you die for someone who doesn’t care about you, doesn’t acknowledge you, someone who doesn’t even like you or may even hate you? Would you not simply tolerate dying for them but actively choose it? Now that we’re into the heart of Lent, the Holy Spirit opens the heart of God to us in our second reading.

How is your Lent going so far? It’s early on, so chances are the novelty hasn’t quite worn off yet. In a few weeks, the Lenten lull will set in, and we’ll all find ourselves asking why we picked this particular Lenten discipline. To prepare us for that inevitable moment, the Holy Spirit has a message for us today: Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from the Lord.

Now that we are in the season of Lent, you might notice that the connections between the readings have changed. Throughout Ordinary Time, we work sequentially through one specific Gospel, with the First Reading being an Old Testament passage that is in harmony with or directly points toward that Gospel. The Second Reading comes from a sequential reading of New Testament epistle. Now that we are in Lent, The Church gives us three readings designed to help instruct catechumens, those who are entering the Church. The First Readings will highlight major events throughout salvation history. The Gospels are going to focus on events in the life of Jesus that are important for initiation into the Church. The Second Readings will form a bridge between the two by focusing on the great Lenten themes of sin and forgiveness, and those will be the focus of this column throughout Lent.