Gospel Reflection

Sunday, March 7th - The Third Sunday of Lent

Luke 13: 1 - 9

There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus?

I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo'am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

And he said to the vinedresser, `Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?'

And he answered him, `Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure.

And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Reflection

Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.

This good news of Jesus Christ comes to us in two parts today.

The first is almost like something you would hear on the evening news: In Galilee soldiers stormed in and killed people while they were at worship. And in Jerusalem a tower fell crushing 15 people to death.

We hear stories like that today. A militia of Taliban detonated a bomb in a school killing students while they studied. An earthquake in Haiti killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The crowd wanted to know why they died, just as we would. Why did God let them die? Was it because they were sinners?

But Jesus does not focus on the few that died, but on the people who asked the question. It is not a matter of who is a sinner and who is not a sinner but the fact that we all sin. And because we are human, death comes to us all.

The more important question is not why these people died but will we be ready when our time comes? Do we recognize our own need for God’s Love and Mercy? Have we repented and turned our whole heart over to God? Or is there a part of ourselves we refuse to give Him or are ashamed to give Him?

In the second part of this gospel, Jesus tells the story of the Barren Fig Tree. This tree has been taking up space in the owner’s garden for three (3) years and has produced no fruit. The owner is getting impatient but the gardener asks for one more chance for the tree. “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.”

Jesus is the gardener who asks the owner, God the Father, to allow him to cultivate our ground, to fertilize us, so that we can “bear fruit.” God the Father sent Jesus to show us the way, to give us the nourishment we need to grow and bear fruit.

But we need to let Jesus cultivate and fertilize us, which is not a pleasant process. Things need to be turned up in our lives and examined. We need to give ourselves over to God’s grace and mercy in order to bear fruit.

The Church sets this time aside for us to do just that. Lent is that Spring when we are cultivated and fertilized, if we take advantage of it. So I ask you and myself: What are we waiting for? Don’t let this Lent become one of “taking up space.” God’s grace and mercy is all around us. All we have to do is let Him in.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle… pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts…forever.

Mr. Rick Duncan
Faculty
St. Raymond High School for Boys, Bronx, NY