3rd Sunday of Lent March 23, 2025

Readings:  Ex 3, 1-8.13-15;  I Cor 10, 1-6. 10-12; Gos: Lk 13, 1-9)

Among other things, the Lenten Season invites us to true repentance. The parable in the Gospel today sets out to show that God is giving us time to repent following the intervention of the gardener to allow the fig tree for one more year.

Barrenness and the resultant fruitlessness are indications of sin. In the parable, our Lord is telling us to repent, or we risk elimination from the vineyard of the Lord. The Greek word in the narrative is “metanoia” which means a change of heart. God is, therefore, asking us to change our heart through an intense and conscious renewal of our roots not the decoration of the branches like the little boy did in our opening story to save the tree.

We need to return to God as the Israelites did after four hundred years of their slavery in Egypt, and God responded to them through Moses via the theophany of the Burning Bush as we saw in the First Reading (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15). The Burning Bush shows the ever-present (I AM) burning love of God that is waiting for us this Lenten Season. Our responsorial Psalm says, “the Lord is kind and mercy.” Yes, He is waiting for us to turning back and become fruitful and productive.

The tree had one year to become productive; we have had years ahead of us to achieve our “metanoia” and come out from the slavery of sin. Now have a very fitting time to accomplish this and may we not allow it to elude us. God is interested in spiritual fruits not in barren religious trees. May we move from barrenness to essential fruitfulness to the glory of God and for our salvation. Amen.                                                                     

      Fr. Terry.