March 3, 2013

Bulletin: March 3, 2013

3^rd Sunday of Lent C

Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9
I have found some interesting lines in the readings today that help me reflect on my Lenten journey. In Exodus Moses encountered the ‘burning bush’, certainly a remarkable sight and he had to get closer to see why it wasn’t being consumed. God calls him by name and Moses is afraid. God says “I have witnessed the affliction of my people…I know well what they are suffering…I have come down to rescue them.” This is what God is like: knowing and seeing everything with unfathomable caring and mercy. And do I hide or sense that God doesn’t care about me; this is the ploy of the devil. And to prove this God states His name as I AM. As Sunday Homily Helps states, “This is a name unique to God. It reflects the timelessness of the eternal God. Every generation of the faithful will have reason to remember the gracious presence of God in their lives.” What do I have to do to remember; to let it sink in that God is with me all the time? It can only be recognized with gratitude. If I am not grateful then I can’t understand God.
Paul reiterates the wonderful gifts that God gave to the people during and after the Exodus. Yet in spite of all that God did the people continued to do what they wanted and refused to live up to the covenant. Why did God continue to allow this? What is God best at? HIS MERCY! And Paul reminds me that I must look at all these faith stories and to see in them a pattern that is important for me: repent…change…be converted. He says it so strongly when he says “These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.” How many warnings did Moses convey to the people from God…Paul is warning me and all: repent…change…be converted. Paul kept on reminding the community at Corinth to ‘shape up.’ So I see myself with these people, even though I might think that my relationship with God is thriving, maybe that’s not the case at all. Maybe my confidence and assuredness is a sign of pride…my own spiritual pride…’I must be on the right track with God’. Why? When I say this I am prone to think I’m OK and I don’t have to work on anything. This can never be…but this is where the devil constantly wants me to be: complacent and self-satisfied. When this happens all growth is cut off; I’m no different in attitude than many of the Pharisees that Jesus’ condemns for their self-righteousness.
The two incidents that Jesus uses in the Gospel are reminders that now is the time for me to keep working on me. The first incident tells a horrible event where Pilate mingled the blood of some Galileans he had killed with the blood of their animal sacrifices. This is the only place in any literature that this is mentioned. Was Pilate capable of this, certainly? But why did it happen? Is there a reason for it; just that ‘things happen’ and I never know when ‘things will happen’ so I must be prepared. I could be the ‘Galilean victim’ so am I prepared for what will happen? Is there ‘unfinished’ repenting…changing…conversion that I must attend to? Can I incorporate in the remaining time of Lent? The second incident is where the tower at Siloam fell on 18 people killing them. Why? Tragedy happens. This is a reminder for me to continue in repenting…changing and conversion. Then Jesus tells a story of a barren fig tree, emphasizing the point that there is still time. Logic would have said that the tree was finished, but the owner, ‘God the Father’ allows the tree to stand for one more year. I can’t presume my conversion I can only take these messages to heart from my loving, merciful God.

Faith Catholic gives this summary: “Do we understand that we are on holy ground? Here in this place it is perhaps a bit more obvious. But we are on holy ground wherever we walk, for the Lord walks with us. We carry the burning bush, namely the fire of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. When we become too busy and so caught up in the distractions of this life, we begin to run the risk of extinguishing God’s fire within. Lent calls us each year to a time of rededication and repentance. Lent is also a good time to remember that we are far better off dealing with our own individual sinfulness, than using someone else’s shortcomings to excise our own. This is the gist of Jesus’ message in the Gospel.

In today’s parable we are also reminded that God gives second chances. Though tempted to simply cut down the fig tree because it is using up good space upon the earth that could be used for producing fruit, the gardener convinces the owner of the orchard to give him more time to cultivate around it and fertilize it. If all his attempts fail, then it will be cut down.

This parable represents the great ongoing conversation between our Creator and Redeemer—Father and Son. When the Creator begins to think it is time to cut His losses and start over, the Redeemer intervenes and asks for another opportunity to have God’s greatest creation—you and me—come to terms with our need to repent of not bearing fruit for the Kingdom. So let us invite the Lord into our hearts to prune, to cultivate and to feed us. Thus, will we be better enabled to bear the good fruits for the Kingdom of God—the fruits of compassion, justice and reconciliation.”
It all comes down to me. God created me in love and is proud of His creation; that’s why the gifts are constantly flowing. But I am accountable…so the bottom line is am I living and working for heaven in the way that Jesus teaches? So I reflect on:

• I am called to walk on holy ground—always aware of the loving presence of God, always united to Jesus in my efforts to live the Gospel. How am I doing so far this Lent?
  
• Moses was minding his own business when something dramatic happened. In the Gospel some things happened the people questioned some things that didn’t make sense to them. Jesus said, ‘You know neither the day nor the hour...’ So this day and moments are important…am I living this way?
  
• I know people who put their faith lives before other concerns. They seem to have a sense of serenity and peace about them. Do I learn from this?
  
• So what am I to do? Sacred Space says it simply, “I consider how God looks on me lovingly, ‘digs around me,’ and is patient with me. I humbly lay the fruit of my life before God.”