In today’s Gospel, Jesus points out that the crowd and some of us, believe that those who experience something negative in their lives are being punished by God. Perhaps its because when we were young and did something wrong we would be spanked, or grounded, or had to go to our bedroom, or sit in the corner, or something that we liked was taken away: a favorite toy, TV, or our cell phone. In the Old Testament, when God’s people were defeated in battle or taken into exile it was because they didn’t observe the law. In Jesus’ time too, if someone were blind, or deaf, or crippled, either from birth or an accident it was because they sinned. And if not them, then the sins of their parents. Jesus insists that this is not so. Although sometimes the choices or decisions we make do bring about negative consequences.
His parable of the fruitless fig tree illustrates a call to repentance and lives that are holy, for we never know when we might perish. The three years the tree did not bare, may symbolize a person’s failure to perform any of the three penances of the Lenten season. We are called to bear fruit by fasting, praying, and almsgiving. On this first day of spring, may we resolve to blossom as the gardener envisions: growth out of watering, hoeing, and fertilizing; fruit out of barrenness; and life out of death.
Our God is merciful. Like our psalm 103 says, “The Lord is kind and merciful.” If the rescue of the chosen people from captivity didn’t make this apparent, sending the Son to suffer and die for the sins of humanity proved the unprecedented extent of that mercy. During this holy season, we are called to repent and be faithful to the Gospel as was said when we received ashes. Let us continue our journey of Lent cultivating our virtues, so that what God has created in us, and Christ has redeemed in us, may bear fruit for the world. May we show our gratitude for God’s mercy in the fruit that we bear.
Love, Peace, Joy,
Fr. Bob
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