First Reading – Exodus 3:1-8a,13-15;
Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,1-12;
Gospel – Luke 13:1-9
The liturgy of the Third Sunday of Lent begins by acknowledging God´s holiness and his claim on us that we belong to him. It recognises that we are his own people and must live in a way that reflects his holiness. God offers us the gift of faith as our path towards holiness. At the same time, we all want and desire to live a peaceful life. We all want to make sense of our existence. We all desire to live a life where we can make a positive contribution to ourselves, to our families and to those around us. Challenges are always with us, difficulties surround us. However, the more we long, desire and develop a personal and ultimate relationship with Jesus Christ as our best friend, there is absolutely nothing that we cannot face and overcome.
During this time of Lent, there is an invitation to examine our lives and change for the better through a process of repentance and the need for the transformation of the heart. One of the recurrent themes throughout the Lenten season is the compassion and mercy of our God. It is something that we constantly need to be reminded about. Repentance entails the recognition of areas of unfaithfulness in our lives and is ready to make reparations. Repentance demands that we become honest with ourselves and recognise our unfruitfulness. Once we have accepted this change in our lives God has a ready mission for us. He wants us to fulfil his task on earth namely to proclaim the kingdom of God. In the parable in the Gospel of today, Jesus speaks of the tree, which is alive, but it does not fulfil its duty of bearing fruit.
The Gospel Reading mentions of the parable of Jesus namely the unproductive fig tree which stresses God’s divine patience and forbearance. This parable immediately follows Jesus explained that sin is offensive to God, that it deserves severe punishment. Sin is understood as missing the mark and negation of God’s presence.
In the parable, the master had already waited for three years, and the gardener asks for another year where it would receive extra care. Here Jesus is issuing a warning to all of us that now it is the time to repent and to change. No one knows when God will call us to ultimate accountability. The fig tree reminds us of two kinds of human persons, those who give and those who take. Those who give symbolise the sacrifice they make and fulfil the purpose of their existence. They give what they have without holding back anything for themselves and this is in generosity. Those who only take must justify their existence. They must fulfil their purpose of existence. To accept Christ’s message is to be open for conversion and change of heart. It invites the person to bear fruit and fulfil the purpose for which it has been created, namely, to give. Repentance or Conversion means to respond to God’s care for us, to devote ourselves to a life of vigilance day in and day out and constantly renew our cooperation with God’s grace.
The parable of the useless fig tree while it applies directly to the stubborn Jews of Christ’s time has a lesson for all times and for all sinners. God’s mercy is infinite but man’s earthly life, during which he can obtain the divine mercy, is very finite. God’s mercy can forgive sins no matter how grievous, but it cannot forgive even less serious sins unless the sinner is sorry and asks for forgiveness. Christ the high priest who is the mediator between God and man is continually interceding for us but unless we do our part of repenting and changing our behaviour, his intercession will be of no avail to us. God does not want anyone to be destroyed but he always respects our freedom and humility to repent. He calls us to be vigilant and alert to listen to him and respond to him. The gardener in the parable is Jesus himself who pleads for us continuously.
During this season of Lent, we ask the grace to live in a continual spirit of renewal and repentance. Repentance demands that we become honest to ourselves and recognise our unfruitfulness and change ourselves to bear the right fruit for God. Moses was asked to change his view and do his mission. Each fig tree is expected to bear fruit that represents the good works and virtues of those who help to build the Body of Christ. Each must answer his calling according to where he has been sent by God. The fig tree is called upon to be generous in the fulfilment of the mission. We have to recognise our nothingness before God and be ready to receive him during this season of Lent. It is only after such a serious reflection that we shall have that remorse for our failures.
We need to live lives of repentance, because we never know when we will meet a tragedy of our own. Let us repent while we have the chance. Let us turn to Christ, acknowledge our faults and failings, and receive from him mercy, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life. There is no better way to take these words of Jesus to heart than to go to sacramental confession, and there is no better time to go to confession than during Lent. We are unable to predict when a tragic accident may happen to us. Our end may come swiftly – without warning and without giving us an opportunity to repent; (b) because repentance helps us in life and in death. It helps us to live as forgiven people and helps us to face death without fear. When we repent, we are saying: “I’ve been going in the wrong direction – I must turn my life around.” Repentance begins with an admission of our sin and inadequacy. (c) because we cannot see Jesus in all his fullness unless we look at him through the lens of repentance. Scripture says repentance results in forgiveness, renewal, and redirection. Repentance is a statement of regret for the inner condition of our souls, with a determination to have that condition changed.
We need to be fruitful trees in God’s orchard. Lent is an ideal time “to dig around and manure” the tree of our life so that it may bring forth fruits. The “fruits” God expects from us during Lent are repentance, renewal of life, and the resulting virtues of love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, selflessness, and humble service. Let us start producing these fruits in the family by becoming more sensitive to the feelings of others and by accepting each member of the family with love and respect. The Christian fruits of reconciliation will grow in the family when each member shows good will by forgiving others and by asking their forgiveness. We become fruit-bearing in the community by caring for the poor, the sick, the little ones, the old, and the lonely.
We need to make the best use of the “second chances” God gives us. Our merciful Father always gives us a second chance. The prodigal son, returning to the father, was welcomed as a son, not treated as a slave. The repentant Peter was made the head of the Church. The persecutor Saul was made Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. During Lent, we, too, are given another chance to repent and return to our Heavenly Father’s love. We are also expected to give others another chance when they ask our forgiveness. God would like to use each one of us as the “gardener” in the parable to help Him cultivate our families and communities and enrich them with grace. Let us thank God for using others to help us bear fruit. Grace is everywhere. Let us always cooperate with grace, especially during Lent.