My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, peace be with you on this Thursday after Ash Wednesday. As we begin Lent, our readings will speak to us about saving our lives. Because life is precious, life is a gift of God. And in the Old Testament this would be accomplished through fidelity to the commandments which God had given his people. But in the New Testament it is accomplished through fidelity to Christ, who is the fulfillment and the perfection of the law and the prophets.