Third Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 30
Lectionary: 30
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
R. (8a) The
Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Reading 21 COR 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
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.
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
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.
Verse Before
The GospelMT 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
GospelLK 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘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.’”
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘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.’”
3rd Sunday
of Lent – Cycle C
Note:
If there are some of The Elect at the Mass, the readings given for Cycle A may
be used. The alternate readings emphasize water: the water from the rock during
the wandering in the desert, and the water from the well in Samaria. The Elect
are longing for the waters of baptism.
Note:
Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is
recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
The
story of the salvation of God’s peoples continues during this Lenten season.
Today we hear of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush.
Moses
(Hebrew: Moshe) was born into a Hebrew family who lived in Egypt. As the story
goes, the Egyptians had issued an order to kill all male Jewish infants
(commentators have suggested that this was to weaken the Jewish tribal bond by
eliminating male heirs, thus forcing intermarriage and abolishing the
priesthood). Moses escaped this fate by being cast adrift in a basket on the
Nile (at the age of 3 months) and rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter who immediately
recognized him as a Hebrew (no doubt because Jews circumcised at 8 days and
Egyptians at 13 years). Moses, as he was named by Pharaoh’s daughter, was
raised as her son. One day in 1486 B.C. when Moses was forty (Acts 7:23), he
killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and had to flee. He went to Midian
[so named for Midian, a descendent of Abraham through Keturah (a wife of lower
rank through whom the Hebrews established their connection with the Arabian
tribes (Genesis 25:1-4; 1 Chronicles 1:32)]. Midian was located on the eastern
shore of the Red Sea in the area of present Saudi Arabia and probably included
the Sinai Peninsula.
He
married a priest’s daughter and settled down to be a shepherd, which brings us
to the time of today’s reading, about 40 years after his arrival in Midian.
3:1 [ ] Moses was tending the flock of
his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the
desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Horeb
is another name for Mount Sinai.
2 There an angel of the LORD
appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.
In
Old Testament literature this expression may refer to God Himself or His angel.
Here we are most probably hearing about God making Himself known to His chosen
human instrument.
As
he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not
consumed. 3 So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at
this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” 4 When
the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him
from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 God
said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where
you stand is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father,”
he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
God
shows His fixed resolve to deliver the descendants of the patriarchs from their
oppressors; and that Moses is to be His chosen instrument of deliverance.
Moses
hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Who
can look at God and live? (Exodus 33:20).
7 But the LORD said, “I have
witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of
complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. 8aTherefore
I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians
God
intervenes because He has seen and heard the cry of His suffering people
(Exodus 2:23-25).
and
lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with
milk and honey.”
The
abundance of milk is one of the signs of prosperity and peace. The milk used in
Old Testament times was sheep or goat’s milk kept in skin bottles. In regions
where water was scarce or unsafe milk was used to quench the thirst. Honey is
also a sign of abundance. It was essential in the diet of the nomadic tribes
who did not cultivate cereals, but was not favored by settled peoples as a
steady diet. Usually means date syrup as wild bee honey is not plentiful.
13 “But,” said Moses to God, “when I go to
the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
Moses
is objecting to being chosen and trying to show that the people won’t believe
him; they won’t believe that he speaks for God.
14 God replied, “I am who am.”
The
divine name manifests God to the worshiper; the old name, the God of your
fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), is not adequate.
Then
he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to
you.”
The
name in Hebrew is YHWH (Hebrew had no vowels). The name
Jehovah has resulted from a misreading of the name in Hebrew. Wherever YHWH was
encountered in Scriptures when reading, the title “Adonai” (Lord) was
substituted and the insertion of the vowel sounds from Adonai into YHWH in the
19th century, resulted in Jehovah.
15God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall
you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my
name forever; this is my title for all generations.”
After
revealing His Name, God elaborates the mission of His newly chosen instrument
and sets aside his objection.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,
10-12
Our
epistle reading for today mentions the wilderness struggle of the Israelites,
so it ties into the story of Moses and the people.
10:1 I do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud
As in
Psalm 105:39
and
all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them were
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
“Paul
says the Jews were under the cloud in order to point out that everything that
happened to them is meant to be understood as a picture of the truth which has
been revealed to us. Under the cloud they were protected from their enemies
until they were delivered from death, analogous to baptism. For when they
passed through the Red Sea they were delivered from the Egyptians who died in
it (Exodus 14:28-29), and their death prefigured our baptism, which puts our
adversaries to death as well.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries
on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and
all drank the same spiritual drink,
Sustenance
of supernatural origin; an allusion to the Eucharist
for
they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
There
is no Old Testament hint of movement of the rock, this is oral Jewish Tradition
which is recorded in Scripture here for the first time.
and
the rock was the Christ.
To
heighten the Corinthians’ appreciation of the parallel situations, they should
see the rock as equivalent to Christ now; the continuity of giving.
5Yet God was not pleased with most of
them, for they were struck down in the desert.
In
verses 1 through 5 Saint Paul establishes a parallel between the situation of
the Israelites in the desert and the Corinthians. He takes it for granted that
the readers are familiar with the Exodus narrative, whose order he follows: the
cloud (Exodus 13:21), the sea (Exodus 14:21), the manna (Exodus 16:4), the
water (Exodus 17:6), and the rebellion (Exodus 32:6).
6These things happened as examples for
us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
The
chastisements inflicted on the unfaithful Israelites are a warning to Christians.
10Do not grumble as some of them did, and
suffered death by the destroyer.
On
the basis of Exodus 12:23 (the Passover night), the rabbis believed that there
was a special destroying angel.
“Those
who were destroyed prefigured Judas, who betrayed Christ and was eliminated
from the number of the apostles by the judgment of God.” [The Ambrosiaster
(between A.D. 366-384),Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
11These 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.
The
messianic period is the final period in salvation history (Hebrews 1:1-2). This
is the period in which we currently live.
12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing
secure should take care not to fall.
This
is the whole point of this reading.
“Paul
wants to remind us that we are not saved merely because we happen to have been
the recipients of God’s free grace. We have to demonstrate that we are willing
recipients of that free gift. The children of Israel received it, but they
proved to be unworthy of it, and so
they
were not saved.” [Origin (ca. A.D. 240, Commentary on First Corinthians 4,45,2-5]
Gospel
- Luke 13:1-9
Our
Gospel reading is a mid-Lenten call for repentance that provides a continuing
balance to the Old Testament stories of covenant-making between God and His
people. God called Moses and the Israelites. He demanded that the people of the
covenant live a life of repentance and turn back to the Lord. The people of the
covenant are expected to bear fruit. Our relationship with God cannot be taken
for granted any more than a marriage relationship can. Husband and wife must
constantly make decisions of love for each other. Priorities have to be set in
which the marriage relationship comes first; otherwise the marriage falters,
dries up, and often dies. The covenant must be renewed day after day after day
with decisions for the covenant of marriage. This is the kind of constant
decision making that is essential if we are to live in our covenant
relationship with God.
13:1 At that time some people who were
present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with
the blood of their sacrifices.
This
incident is recorded only here, and is otherwise unknown in secular histories.
It fits, however, into the picture of Pilate that is known to us from the first
century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus:
“So
he [Pilate] habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried
daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might
surround them [the rebellious Jews]. He bade the Jews himself go away; but they
boldly cast reproaches upon him so he gave the soldiers that signal which had
been beforehand agreed on; the soldiers then laid upon them much greater blows
than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were
tumultuous, and those that were not, nor did they spare them in the least; and
since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they
were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others
of them ran away wounded; and thus an end was put to this sedition.” [Antiquities
of the Jews 18:3,2(61-62)].
2 He said to them in reply, “Do you
think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater
sinners than all other Galileans? 3 By no means!
Jesus
doesn’t condemn Pilate, he merely comments on the guilt of those so murdered;
or lack thereof.
But
I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!
Repent
and be ready for judgment.
4Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than
everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
Probably
one of the towers that guarded the pool of Siloam (located in the southeastern
corner of Jerusalem).
5By no means! But I tell you, if you do
not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 6 And he
told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in
his orchard,
The
fig tree is a symbol of Israel.
and
when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he
said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on
this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the
soil?’
In
Hebrew numerology, the number of completion; also the length of Jesus’ public
ministry
8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir,
leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and
fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not
you can cut it down.’”
God
waits patiently for the fruit to appear; he wants him to be converted and live
(Ezekiel 33:11).
Meditation: "Unless you repent you will
perish"
What causes suffering or
affliction and what does God want to teach us through it? The people of Israel
suffered greatly under the oppressive rule of Egypt for more than 400 years.
Did they suffer unjustly or was God angry with them? God was faithful to his
people Israel even in the midst of their affliction and ill treatment by their
Egyptian taskmaster. God in his mercy did not forget them nor forsake them.
Throughout their long history of exile and suffering God made them strong and
they grew in number. God listened to their plea for mercy and freedom. And God
raised up a savior for them, called Moses, whom he taught and tested in the
wilderness until he was ready to hear and obey God's call.
The fire of God's
purifying love and deliverance
When Moses came near the mountain of God at Horeb (which is also named Sinai), God made his presence and will known to Moses through an extraordinary sign - a bush inflamed with a fierce fire that did not harm or destroy the bush. This burning bush was a sign of God's presence and power to save his people from destruction. The fire of God's presence always demonstrates his purifying love and mercy that burns away sin and refashions us in his holiness and righteousness (moral goodness). Just as gold is tested through fire, God tests and purifies his people and fills them with the fire of his love and holiness.
When Moses came near the mountain of God at Horeb (which is also named Sinai), God made his presence and will known to Moses through an extraordinary sign - a bush inflamed with a fierce fire that did not harm or destroy the bush. This burning bush was a sign of God's presence and power to save his people from destruction. The fire of God's presence always demonstrates his purifying love and mercy that burns away sin and refashions us in his holiness and righteousness (moral goodness). Just as gold is tested through fire, God tests and purifies his people and fills them with the fire of his love and holiness.
When Jesus preached the coming of God's kingdom of peace and righteousness
to his people, he called them to repent and believe in the gospel - the good
news of pardon, peace, and new life in the Holy Spirit. His numerous signs and
miracles demonstrated the power of God's kingdom breaking into the lives of all
who turned to Jesus with faith and obedience. Many recognized that Jesus was
the Messiah whom God had promised would come and do even greater signs and
wonders than Moses has done.
Jesus addresses the issue of suffering and sin
Jesus on a number of occasions warned the people turn away from sin before it was too late to repent and receive God's mercy and pardon. Luke recounts two current disasters which Jesus addressed with the people. The first incident occurred in the temple at Jerusalem. Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did to incite Pilate's wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in the holiest of places for the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews, this was political barbarity and sacrilege at its worst!
Jesus addresses the issue of suffering and sin
Jesus on a number of occasions warned the people turn away from sin before it was too late to repent and receive God's mercy and pardon. Luke recounts two current disasters which Jesus addressed with the people. The first incident occurred in the temple at Jerusalem. Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did to incite Pilate's wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in the holiest of places for the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews, this was political barbarity and sacrilege at its worst!
The second incident
which Jesus addressed was a natural disaster, a tower in Jerusalem which
unexpectedly collapsed, killing 18 people. The Jews often associated such
calamities and disasters as a consequence of sin. Scripture does warn that sin
can result in calamity! Though the righteous fall seven times, and rise
again; the wicked are overthrown by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).
The time for repentance
and forgiveness is right now!
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning - take responsibility for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through repentance - asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace - it leads to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning - take responsibility for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through repentance - asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace - it leads to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
The sign of the barren
fig tree
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrates his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant sin.
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrates his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant sin.
The unfruitful fig tree
symbolized the outcome of Israel's indifference and lack of response to God's
word of repentance and restoration. The prophets depicted the desolation
and calamity of Israel's fall and ruin - due to her unfaithfulness to God - as
a languishing fig tree (see Joel 1:7,12; Habbakuk 3:17; and Jeremiah 8:13).
Jeremiah likened good and evil rulers and members of Israel with figs that were
either good for eating or rotten and wasteful (Jeremiah 24:2-8). Jesus' parable
depicts the patience of God, but it also contains a warning that we should not
presume upon God's patience and mercy. God's judgment will come in due course -
very soon or later.
Why God judges
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent and change their course, there is the consequence that they will lose both their soul and body to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent and turn back to God.
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent and change their course, there is the consequence that they will lose both their soul and body to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent and turn back to God.
Don't tolerate sin
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace (his gracious help and healing) and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness (moral goodness) and holiness?
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace (his gracious help and healing) and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness (moral goodness) and holiness?
"Lord Jesus,
increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness and holiness. May I
not squander the grace of the present moment to say "yes" to you and
to your will and plan for my life."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: The Lord's three visits through the Patriarchs,
Prophets, and the Gospel, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless
tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no
fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.' The gardener
intercedes... This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the
time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of
the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now; with the
gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut
down, but the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show
how merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let
us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.' Manure is
a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.'
Since it does bear fruit in one part, and in another part does not bear fruit,
its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are
good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one
body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3)
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, LUKE 3:13-1-9
(Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, LUKE 3:13-1-9
(Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12)
KEY VERSE: "Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did" (v 13).
TO KNOW: In Jesus' time, there were those who hoped for a triumphant Messiah who would reestablish Israel in power. They found Jesus’ teaching of the cross too difficult to accept. Jesus pointed out recent disasters that they believed were the consequence of sin. In one incident, Pontius Pilate's men killed some Jewish Galileans in cold-blood while they were offering sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple at Passover. In another case, several construction workers were accidentally killed when a water tower fell on them. These individuals did not die because of their own sins. Although they were innocent of wrongdoing, they nonetheless suffered the reality of evil in the world. Without faith, these calamities would be seen as terrible tragedies, but with faith, all events in a person's life, whether good or bad, can be sanctifying and redemptive. Jesus told a parable about a fruitless fig tree planted in the vineyard (a symbol of barren Israel, Jer 8:13; Is 5:1-7). While God was merciful and patient in waiting for it to bear fruit, time was running out. The kingdom of God was at hand and God's people should repent while there was still time.
TO LOVE: Do I view the trials in my life as punishment for sin or opportunities for growth?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to uproot sin in my life so that I might bear good fruit.
SCRUTINIES - EXAMINING OUR LIVES
On the Third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the First Scrutiny and Exorcism for the Elect (RCIA, 150). In the Scrutiny Rites, those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil as well as the entire assembly are called to examine the areas in their lives where they thirst for God and need God's healing love. During the week the presentation of the creed is celebrated with the elect (RCIA, 157).The primary way that the Church assists those preparing for baptism (called the elect after the celebration of the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent) is through the celebration of the rites called Scrutinies. To scrutinize something means to examine it closely. These ritual celebrations are held on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. Where catechumens are present the readings are from the Gospel of John. On the Third Sunday we hear the story of the woman at the well and her thirst for God (Jn 4:4-42). On the Fourth Sunday we hear the story of the man born blind and the healing power of God in his life (Jn 9:1-41). On the Fifth Sunday we hear the story of the raising of Lazarus, which reminds us of our own dying and rising with Christ in Baptism (Jn 11:1-45). The Scrutiny rites of Lent are communal prayers celebrated to strengthen the elect to overcome the power of sin in their lives and to grow in virtues. The community does not scrutinize the elect; they scrutinize their own lives and allow God to scrutinize them and to heal them. Since all of us are called to continual conversion throughout our lives, we join with the elect in scrutinizing our own lives and praying to God for the grace to overcome the power of sin that still has a hold on us, and to be strengthened in the virtues.
NOTE: On the Third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the First Scrutiny for the Elect
(RCIA, 165). When the elect, catechumens and candidates are present, the story
of the Woman at the Well and her thirst for God is read. In the Scrutiny Rites,
those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil as well as the entire assembly
are called to examine the areas in their lives where they thirst
for God and need God's healing love. During the week the presentation of the
creed is celebrated with the elect (RCIA, 157).
Sunday 28 February 2016
Sun 28th. 3rd Sunday of Lent. Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15. The
Lord is kind and merciful—Ps 102(103):1-4, 6-8, 11. 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,
10-12. Luke 13:1-9.
Promises we make
It is usually about this time during the Lenten season
that I begin to worry that I’m failing in my Lenten promises to God, or that
I’m not doing enough during this holy period to put Jesus at the centre of my
life.
Returning to the sacrament of reconciliation is a
great way to keep on track, to cleanse my soul and be healed.
Jesus tells the people in today’s Gospel to ‘repent or
perish’. Harsh words, it may seem. But as today’s Psalm reminds us, the Lord is
kind and merciful. He wants us to come to him, sinful and sorrowful, to be
forgiven. His love for us is endless and nothing can separate us from his love.
God, the Father of Mercy, help me to examine my
conscience and to make a good confession. Lord, cleanse me from my sins. Draw
me closer to you.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Importance of Love
|
The most important thing in life is to love God, your neighbor and
yourself—equally. You will have to have become very simple before you can do
this, but in the trying you will be radicalized—in the good sense—radically
simplified and your capacity for love fully amplified.
February
28
Blessed Daniel Brottier
(1876-1936)
Blessed Daniel Brottier
(1876-1936)
Daniel spent most of his life in the
trenches—one way or another.
Born in France in 1876, Daniel was ordained in 1899
and began a teaching career. That didn’t satisfy him long. He wanted to use his
zeal for the gospel far beyond the classroom. He joined the missionary
Congregation of the Holy Spirit, which sent him to Senegal, West Africa. After
eight years there, his health was suffering. He was forced to return to France,
where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal.
At the outbreak of World War I Daniel became a
volunteer chaplain and spent four years at the front. He did not shrink from
his duties. Indeed, he risked his life time and again in ministering to the
suffering and dying. It was miraculous that he did not suffer a single wound
during his 52 months in the heart of battle.
After the war he was invited to help establish a
project for orphaned and abandoned children in a Paris suburb. He spent the
final 13 years of his life there. He died in 1936 and was beatified by Pope
John Paul II in Paris only 48 years later.
LECTIO DIVINA: 3RD SUNDAY OF LENT (C)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Jesus comments on the events of the day
How to interpret the signs of the times
Luke 13:1-9
How to interpret the signs of the times
Luke 13:1-9
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The text of the third Sunday of Lent
puts before us two different but related facts: Jesus comments on the events of
the day and he narrates a parable. Luke 13:1-5: At the people’s request, Jesus
comments on the events of the day: the massacre of pilgrims by Pilate and the
massacre at the tower of Siloam where eighteen persons were killed. Luke 13:-9:
Jesus tells a parable about the fig tree that bore no fruit.
As you read, it is good to note two things: (i) see how Jesus contradicts the popular interpretation of what is happening (ii) see whether there is a connection between the parable and the comment on the events of the day.
As you read, it is good to note two things: (i) see how Jesus contradicts the popular interpretation of what is happening (ii) see whether there is a connection between the parable and the comment on the events of the day.
b) A division of the text to help with
the reading:
Luke 13:1: The people tell Jesus
about the massacre of the Galileans
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on the massacre and draws a lesson from there for the people
Luke 13:4-5: To support his thinking, Jesus comments on another event
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the fig tree that did not bear fruit
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on the massacre and draws a lesson from there for the people
Luke 13:4-5: To support his thinking, Jesus comments on another event
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the fig tree that did not bear fruit
c) Text:
1 It was just about this time that some
people arrived and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled
with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, 2 'Do you suppose that
these Galileans were worse sinners than any others, that this should have happened
to them? 3 They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all
perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell,
killing them all? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other
people living in Jerusalem? 5 They were not, I tell you. No; but unless
you repent you will all perish as they did.' 6 He told this parable, 'A man had
a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but
found none. 7 He said to his vinedresser, "For three years now I have been
coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why
should it be taking up the ground?" 8 "Sir," the man replied,
"leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: 9
it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down." '
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate
and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What struck or pleased you most in
this text? Why?
b) What was the popular interpretation of these two events?
c) How does Jesus disagree with the popular interpretation of the events?
d) What is the meaning of the parable? Is there a connection between the parable and the comments on the events?
e) What is this text’s message for us who have to interpret the signs of the times today?
b) What was the popular interpretation of these two events?
c) How does Jesus disagree with the popular interpretation of the events?
d) What is the meaning of the parable? Is there a connection between the parable and the comments on the events?
e) What is this text’s message for us who have to interpret the signs of the times today?
5. For those who wish to go deeper into
the theme
a) The literary and historical context
of then and now:
Luke writes his Gospel about 85 A.D. for
the Christian communities in Greece. Generally, he follows the narrative in
Mark’s Gospel. Here and there he introduces some minor differences or changes
some words so as to adapt the narrative to his purpose. Apart from Mark’s
Gospel, Luke also consults other books and has access to other sources: eye
witnesses and ministers of the Word (Lk 1:2). All the material that is not
found in Mark, Luke organizes into a literary form: Jesus on a long journey
from Galilee to Jerusalem. There is a description of the journey in Luke 9:51
to 19:28 and this includes ten chapters or one third of the Gospel!
In these chapters, Luke constantly
reminds his readers that Jesus is on a journey. He rarely tells us where Jesus
is, but he lets us know clearly that Jesus is travelling and that the end of
the journey is Jerusalem where he will die in accordance with what the prophets
had foretold (Lk 9:51.53.57; 10:1.38; 11:1; 13:22.33; 14:25; 17:11; 18:31. 35;
19:1.11.28). And even after Jesus reaches Jerusalem, Luke goes on talking of a
journey to the centre (Lk 19:29.41.45; 20:1). Just before the journey begins,
on the occasion of the transfiguration with Moses and Elijah on the mountain,
the going to Jerusalem is considered as an exodus for Jesus (Lk
9:31) and as an ascension or climbing up to heaven (Lk 9:51).
In the Old Testament, Moses had led the first exodus liberating people from
Pharaoh’s oppression (Ex 3:10-12) and the prophet Elijah went up to heaven (2
Kings 2:11). Jesus is the new Moses who comes to liberate people from the
oppression of the Law. He is the new Elijah who comes to prepare the coming of
the Kingdom.
The description of Jesus’ long journey
to Jerusalem is not just a literary device to introduce the material proper to
Luke. It also reflects the long and arduous journey that the communities in
Greece were going through in their daily lives in Luke’s time: passing from a
rural world in Palestine to a cosmopolitan environment in the Greek culture at
the edges of the great cities of Asia and Europe. This passage or inculturation
was marked by a strong tension between the Christians from Judaism and the new
converts who came from other ethnic and cultural groups. Indeed, the
description of the long journey to Jerusalem reflects the painful process of
conversion that people connected to Judaism had to make: to leave the world of
the observance of the law that accused and condemned them, to go towards a
world of the gratuitous love of God to all peoples, to the certainty that in
Christ all peoples meld into one before God; to leave the closed world of a
race to go towards the universal territory of humanity. This is also the
journey of our lives. Are we capable of transforming the crosses of life into
an exodus of liberation?
b) A commentary on the text:
Luke 13:1:The people inform Jesus of
the massacre of the Galileans
Like today, the people pass comments on the events that happen and want to hear comments from those who can form public opinion. That is why some people went to Jesus to tell him of the massacre of some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. It was probably the assassination that took place on Mount Gerazim, which was still a place of pilgrimage and where people were wont to offer sacrifices. This event underlines the ferocity and stupidity of some Roman rulers in Palestine who provoked the religious sensibility of the Jews through irrational actions such as this.
Like today, the people pass comments on the events that happen and want to hear comments from those who can form public opinion. That is why some people went to Jesus to tell him of the massacre of some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. It was probably the assassination that took place on Mount Gerazim, which was still a place of pilgrimage and where people were wont to offer sacrifices. This event underlines the ferocity and stupidity of some Roman rulers in Palestine who provoked the religious sensibility of the Jews through irrational actions such as this.
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on
the massacre and draws a lesson for the people
Asked to give an opinion, Jesus asks: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others, that this should happen to them?” Jesus’ question reflects the popular interpretation common then: suffering and violent death are a punishment from God for some sin committed by that person. Jesus’ reaction is categorical: “They were not I tell you. No!” He denies the popular interpretation and transforms the event into an examination of conscience: “unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. In other words, unless there is a real and proper change, the same massacre will overtake all. Later history confirmed Jesus’ foresight. The change did not take place. They were not converted and forty years later, in 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Many people were massacred. Jesus saw the gravity of the political situation of his country. On the one hand, there was the ever heavier and unbearable Roman domination. On the other, there was the official religion, which was growing more and more alienated without understanding the importance of the faith in Yahweh in the lives of the people.
Asked to give an opinion, Jesus asks: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others, that this should happen to them?” Jesus’ question reflects the popular interpretation common then: suffering and violent death are a punishment from God for some sin committed by that person. Jesus’ reaction is categorical: “They were not I tell you. No!” He denies the popular interpretation and transforms the event into an examination of conscience: “unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. In other words, unless there is a real and proper change, the same massacre will overtake all. Later history confirmed Jesus’ foresight. The change did not take place. They were not converted and forty years later, in 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Many people were massacred. Jesus saw the gravity of the political situation of his country. On the one hand, there was the ever heavier and unbearable Roman domination. On the other, there was the official religion, which was growing more and more alienated without understanding the importance of the faith in Yahweh in the lives of the people.
Luke 13:4-5: In support of his
thinking, Jesus comments on more than one event
Jesus takes the initiative of commenting on another event. A blizzard causes the tower of Siloam to crumble and eighteen people are crushed by the stones. People thought that it was “a punishment from God!” Jesus’ comment is: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. His concern is to interpret events in such a way that God’s call to change and conversion becomes transparent. Jesus is a mystic, a contemplative. He reads events in a different way. He can read and interpret the signs of the times. For him, the world is transparent, revealing the presence and call of God.
Jesus takes the initiative of commenting on another event. A blizzard causes the tower of Siloam to crumble and eighteen people are crushed by the stones. People thought that it was “a punishment from God!” Jesus’ comment is: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. His concern is to interpret events in such a way that God’s call to change and conversion becomes transparent. Jesus is a mystic, a contemplative. He reads events in a different way. He can read and interpret the signs of the times. For him, the world is transparent, revealing the presence and call of God.
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the
fig tree that bears no fruit
Jesus then tells the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit. A man had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. For three years the tree bore no fruit. So he says to his vinedresser: “Cut it down”. But the vinedresser replies: “Leave it one more year….it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down”. We do not know whether Jesus told this parable immediately after his comments on the massacre and the crumbling of the tower of Siloam. It was probably Luke who placed this parable here, because Luke sees a connection between the comments on the events and the parable of the fig tree. Luke does not say what this connection is. He leaves us to discover this. What meaning does Luke see? I shall dare to give an opinion. You may discover another meaning. The owner of the vineyard and of the fig tree is God. The fig tree represents the people. Jesus is the vinedresser. The owner of the vineyard has grown tired of looking for fruit from the fig tree and finding none. He decides to uproot the tree. Thus there will be more room for another plant that may bear fruit. The chosen people were not producing the fruit that God expected. He wants to pass on the Good News to the pagans. Jesus is the vinedresser who asks that the fig tree be spared a little longer. He will redouble his efforts to obtain a change and a conversion. Later in the Gospel, Jesus recognizes that his redoubled efforts have borne no result. They will not be converted. Jesus mourns the lack of conversion and weeps over the city of Jerusalem. (Lk 19:41-44).
Jesus then tells the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit. A man had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. For three years the tree bore no fruit. So he says to his vinedresser: “Cut it down”. But the vinedresser replies: “Leave it one more year….it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down”. We do not know whether Jesus told this parable immediately after his comments on the massacre and the crumbling of the tower of Siloam. It was probably Luke who placed this parable here, because Luke sees a connection between the comments on the events and the parable of the fig tree. Luke does not say what this connection is. He leaves us to discover this. What meaning does Luke see? I shall dare to give an opinion. You may discover another meaning. The owner of the vineyard and of the fig tree is God. The fig tree represents the people. Jesus is the vinedresser. The owner of the vineyard has grown tired of looking for fruit from the fig tree and finding none. He decides to uproot the tree. Thus there will be more room for another plant that may bear fruit. The chosen people were not producing the fruit that God expected. He wants to pass on the Good News to the pagans. Jesus is the vinedresser who asks that the fig tree be spared a little longer. He will redouble his efforts to obtain a change and a conversion. Later in the Gospel, Jesus recognizes that his redoubled efforts have borne no result. They will not be converted. Jesus mourns the lack of conversion and weeps over the city of Jerusalem. (Lk 19:41-44).
c) Further information:
A short history of the popular
resistance against the Romans in Jesus’ time
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Luke makes
clear allusions to the repression of the Roman legions against the popular
resistance of the Galileans. Hence we give a schematic overview of the popular
resistance of Judeans against the Roman domination. Over the years this
resistance grew deeper and took root in the faith of the people. Here is an
outline that runs parallel with Jesus’ life:
i) From 63 to 37 before
Christ: A popular revolt without any clear direction. In 63 before
Christ, the Roman Empire invaded Palestine and imposed a peasant tribute. From
57 to 37, in just 20 years, six rebellions broke out in Galilee! The people,
aimless, followed anyone who promised to liberate them from the Roman tribute.
ii) From 37 to 4 before
Christ: Repression and dislocation. This is the time of the
government of Herod, called The Great. He is the one who
killed the innocents in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16). Brutal repression prevented any
kind of popular manifestation. Herod thus promoted the so-called Pax
Romana. This peace gave the Empire a certain economic stability, but for
the oppressed people it was the peace of a cemetery.
iii) From 4 to 6 after Christ:
Messianic revolutions. This is the period of Archelaus’ government in
Judea. On the day he took power, he massacred 3000 persons in the Temple
square. The revolution exploded all over the country, but it was aimless. The
popular leaders at this time were seeking for motives connected with ancient
tradition and presented themselves as messianic kings. The Roman repression
destroyed Seforis, the capital of Galilee. Violence was the mark of Jesus’
childhood. In the ten years of Archelaus’ government, he saw Palestine go
through one of the most violent periods of its history.
iv) From 6 to 27: Zeal for the law: A
time for revision. In the year 6, Romolus deposed Archelaus and transformed
Judea into a Roman Province, decreeing a census so as to make sure that the
tribute was paid. The census produced a strong popular reaction inspired by Zeal
for the Law. This Zeal (hence the term zealots) urged
people to boycott and not pay the tribute. This was a new form of resistance, a
kind of civil disobedience that spread like a repressed fire under embers.
However, Zeal had a limited vision. The"zealots" ran
the danger of reducing the observance of the Law to opposition to the Romans.
It was precisely during this period that Jesus grew in awareness of his
mission.
v) From 27 to 69: The prophets reappear. After
these 20 years, from 6 to 26, the revision of the aim of the journey appears
with the preaching of the prophets who represented a step forward in the
popular movement. The prophets called the people together and invited them to
conversion and change. They wanted to reform history from its origins. They
gathered the people in the desert (Mk 1:4), to begin a new exodus, proclaimed
by Isaiah (Is 43:16-21). The first was John the Baptist (Mt 11:9; 14:5; Lk
1:76), who drew many people (Mt 3:5-7). Soon after, Jesus came on the scene and
was considered by the people to be a prophet (Mt 16:14; 21:11.46; Lk 7:16).
Jesus, like Moses, proclaimed the New Law on the Mountain (Mt 5:1) and
nourished the people in the desert (Mk 6:30-44). Like the fall of the walls of
Jericho towards the end of the forty years in the desert (Is 6: 20), so also
Jesus proclaimed the fall of the walls of Jerusalem (Lk 19: 44; Mt 24:2). Like
the prophets of old, Jesus proclaimed the liberation of the oppressed and the
beginning of a new jubilee year (Lk 4:18-19), and
asked for a change in the way of life (Mk 1:15; Lk 13:3.5).
There are other prophets after Jesus.
That is why revolution,messianism and zeal continue
to exist simultaneously. The authorities of the time, Romans and Herodians, as
also priests, scribes and Pharisees, all concerned with the security of the
Temple and the Nation (Jn 11:48) and with the observance of the Law (Mt
23:1-23), could see the difference between prophets and other
popular leaders. For them they were all the same. They mistook Jesus for a
messianic king (Lk 23:2.5). Gamaliel, the great doctor of the law, for
instance, compared Jesus with Judas, leader of the revolutionaries (Acts
5:35-37). Flavius Josephus himself, the historian, mistook the prophets for
"thieves and impostors". Today we would say that they were all
"good for nothing"!
6. Praying Psalm 82 (81)
God warns human authorities
God takes his stand in the divine assembly,
surrounded by the gods he gives judgement.
surrounded by the gods he gives judgement.
'How much longer will you give unjust
judgements
and uphold the prestige of the wicked?
Let the weak and the orphan have justice,
be fair to the wretched and the destitute.
'Rescue the weak and the needy,
save them from the clutches of the wicked.
and uphold the prestige of the wicked?
Let the weak and the orphan have justice,
be fair to the wretched and the destitute.
'Rescue the weak and the needy,
save them from the clutches of the wicked.
'Ignorant and uncomprehending,
they wander in darkness,
while the foundations of the world are tottering.
I had thought, "Are you gods,
are all of you sons of the Most High?"
No! you will die as human beings do,
as one man, princes, you will fall.'
they wander in darkness,
while the foundations of the world are tottering.
I had thought, "Are you gods,
are all of you sons of the Most High?"
No! you will die as human beings do,
as one man, princes, you will fall.'
Arise, God,
judge the world,
for all nations belong to you.
judge the world,
for all nations belong to you.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that
has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit
enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your
Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but
also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of
the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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