III Sunday of Lent:[C] Ex. 3:1-8a, 13-15; I Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12; Lk 13: 1-9

Introduction: All three of today's readings speak of God’s mercy and compassion in disciplining his children by occasional punishment and giving them a second chance in spite of their repeated sins.  Although God’s love for us is constant and consistent, He will not save us without our co-operation.  That is why He invites us during Lent to repent of our sins and to renew our lives by producing fruits of love, compassion, forgiveness, and faithful service.

Citing two tragic events, Jesus exhorts the Jews to repent and reform their lives.  With the parable of the barren fig tree, he also warns them that the merciful God will not put up with them indefinitely. Although God patiently waits for sinners to repent, giving them grace to do so, He will not wait forever.  Time may run out; therefore, timely repentance is necessary.  Hence, a Lent missed is a year lost from the spiritual life.

Anecdote: We experienced devastating natural tragedies in the form of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile in 2010 and as Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. in 2005.  The earthquake in Chile at 3:34 AM on February 27^th measured 8.8 on the Richter scale, killed 279 people, damaged 500,000 homes in six cities and caused an 8.5’ tsunami which flooded nearby islands and coastal areas.  The earthquake in Haiti at 4:53 PM on January 12^th was less strong but more devastating. It killed 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and left a million people homeless, destroying 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings. Hurricane Katrina of  August 2005 was the costliest hurricane and the largest natural disaster up to 2010 in the history of the United States . At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods.  It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas , much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane flooded 80% of the city and large tracts of neighboring parishes for weeks.  It caused damages totaling  $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage caused  by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Citing two tragic local incidents in today’s gospel, Jesus exhorts the Jews to repent of their sins and reform their lives so that they may not face the greatest tragedy of eternal damnation.  Such tragedies also illustrate our inability to understand why a merciful God allows such tragic events to occur. Are they His means of disciplining His children?

Joke: A Rabbi, Hindu priest and tele-evangelist are driving through the country when their car breaks down. They walk to a farmhouse and ask the farmer if they can have shelter for the night. He says yes but explains that there is only room enough in the house for two of them; someone will have to sleep in the barn.

The Hindu priest says he will do it and walks out to the barn. A few minutes later there is a knock at the farmhouse door. The farmer opens it and the Hindu is standing there. He explains that there is a cow in the barn and because cows are holy to him he can't sleep in its presence.

The Rabbi hears this and states that he will gladly take his place and leaves. A few minutes later he too returns explaining that there is a pig in the barn and his religion prohibits him from associating with what they consider an unclean animal.

The tele-evangelist says that he'll go sleep in the barn and leaves. A few minutes later there's a knock at the door. The farmer opens it and sees the cow and the pig...

Life Messages: 1) We need to live lives of repentance, because (a) we never know when we will meet a tragedy of our own.  Let us turn to Christ, acknowledge our faults and failings and receive from him mercy, forgiveness and the promise of eternal life.  (b) Repentance helps us in life and in death. It helps us to live as forgiven people, and helps us to face death without fear.   2) 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 of repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and deepened sensitivity to the feelings of others. 

Introduction: Third Sunday of Lent

Message: From the burning bush, Moses is called by God to lead his people out of slavery into freedom.  The parable of the fig tree speaks, on the one hand, of god’s patience, but of the urgency of the call to conversion, on the other.  Like the Hebrews of old, we too have failed to heed God’s call, thinking ourselves to be self-righteous.

Saints and events in this week: 4-Monday-Saint Casimir; 7-Thursday-Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs; 8-Friday-Saint John of God, religious; 9-Saturday-Saint Frances of Rome, religious;