We started the first Sunday of Lent with Jesus in the desert for 40 days. Then, the second Sunday in Lent, the Gospel spoke of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop. We can easily understand how these two Gospels fit into our Lenten journey. However, on the surface, we might wonder how Jesus’ parable of the fig tree fits into our Lenten journey this third Sunday of Lent. But, as we immerse ourselves in today’s readings, the themes of repentance and mercy came to the surface, fitting well into our Lenten journey.
Let us start by looking at our first reading, Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. Moses is engaging in his everyday activities, of taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep, when this miraculous encounter happens between Moses and God. Moses is drawn to a remarkable sight, to a bush that is burning, but the bush is not consumed by the fire. In this encounter, God speaks to Moses, telling him to remove his sandals, that he is walking on holy ground. I think of our children who participate in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program in religious education here at St Jude who are taught to remove their shoes before they enter the atrium, knowing that they are entering a holy place as they learn about God. When we enter our Church for Mass, we enter a holy place as well, which we reverence by genuflecting and making the sign of the cross. Recognizing and respecting the presence of God, recognizing that we are walking on holy ground in our encounter with God: these are important first steps in recognizing the need for repentance in our lives, no matter where we are on our journey. We all have our own faults, weaknesses, and sins just like Moses. When Moses received his calling from God, he was in hiding after having killed an Egyptian overseer in anger. Moses admits to God that he is not well-spoken and lacks many of the gifts of a good leader. But God sees something in Moses that makes he call him for this special mission. God invites Moses to recognize not only the holiness around him, but also the holiness within him, the call and vocation within him. God connects Moses with the past, telling him that he is the God of his ancestors, of Abraham and Sarah. God connects Moses with the present, tell Moses that he recognizes the misery of the people, that he intends to deliver them from their pain and suffering. Finally, God connects Moses with the future, telling him of his promises to lead them out of slavery to a new homeland flowing with abundance, that God will be with them always. We, too, are connected to God in the past, present, and future. God calls us to repentance this holy season of Lent, to repent for our sins, to renew our life of faith, to look to the future.
In today’s Gospel, the crowd and Jesus talk about the Galileans who were put to death by Pilate and the men who were killed by a falling tower at Siloam. When asked by the people who of these are the most guilty and who had committed the greatest sin, Jesus states that the point is that we all are in need of redemption and repentance, no matter who we are. We all need to renew our faith, to grow in our relationship with God. Like those crowds, we may wonder how much God cares for us and love us if we are guilty of our sins. The parable of the fig tree that Jesus explains, of the gardener who is patient and nurturing of the fig tree, reveals to us that God wants to give us time to grow and to become fruitful on our journey of faith.
I read where there is a type Chinese bamboo; when it is planted in its first year, being adequately watered and fertilized, there is no sign of growth. The same thing happens during the second, third, and fourth year. It looks like it will never grow and develop. Then, in the fifth year, In the space of six weeks, the bamboo grows to roughly ninety feet. The Chinese bamboo is a real lesson in patience for us all. Just as God is patient with us, we too need to be patient and to diligently work on our life of faith and work on overcoming our sins and our temptations. We cannot give up on ourselves when it seems futile, when it seems like we will not grow. Day by day, we are called to diligently and patiently work on our life of faith, on repentance and conversion.
We have been reflecting upon the theme of gratitude this holy season of Lent. Gratitude is an essential part of our faith. Gratitude is essential for us to confront our sins as well. An anonymous quote states: “Be grateful for small things, big things, and everything in-between. If you count your blessings, they will help you face your challenges.” I would add, that if we count our blessing and give gratitude to God, it will help us immensely on our work of repentance and renewing our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
With this theme of repentance, I want to encourage all of you to come to our Lenten penance service this Monday at 6:00 pm here at St Jude. Joining me will be Father Matthew Simmons, Father Nick Adam, Father Gerry Hurley, and Monsignor Michael Flannery. After the prayer service, all of us priests will be available to hear your confession. This is a great opportunity for all of us in the midst of our Lenten journey. Let us rejoice and renew our faith as the Catholic Church invites us to repent with all our hearts on this 3rd Sunday of Lent.
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