Third Sunday of Lent – Year C
February 28, 2016
Gospel: Lk 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 (1), 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 Jerusasem?
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 (2) 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 (3)
it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"
(http://usccb.org/bible/readings/022816-third-sunday-lent.cfm)
The difficult words
(1) We repent when we feel regret or sorrow
about something that we have done or have failed to do.
(2) Soil can be exhausted when it is used over and over
again for planting with no rest in between. This exhausts or removes the soil's
nutrients.
(3) To fertilize the ground we cultivate soil,
we dig and turn over the dirt in order to make things grow better.
This week’s spotlight
Parable
A parable is a very simple story that tells about
daily life and that helps to explain complicated or invisible things. In this
Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable in which a fig tree doesn’t bear any
fruit. He tells us this to make us understand that, like the gardener, he has
lots of patience with us even though we don't always bear fruit.
Wine
In the Bible, there is often talk of grapevines, of
vinedressers, and of wine. Wine is a drink that is very much appreciated and
valued - there is never a celebration without serving the best wine possible!
Wine is also used in the sacrifices offered to God. In order for a grapevine to
give good wine, it needs to ''be cultivated with care. For these reasons, wine
is both a sign of the joy God gives and of our need to work at our tasks
patiently.
Reflection
God loves us, and he is rich in patience and mercy.
Like the gardener in the Gospel, who wants to give the fig tree a second
chance, God never gives up on us, even when we sin. God sees us with the eyes
of hope. He does not use storms, or accidents, or sickness to punish people. To
the contrary, he sends his Son, Jesus, to convert and save men and women. The
gardener in the Gospel is ready to work an extra year so that the tree is not
cut down. The gardener is like God, and the tree is like us. The fig tree does
not give any fruit, but the gardener refuses to give up on it. By being
patient, he saves the tree. Likewise, God does not give up on us, and he wants
us to never give up on ourselves or others. Let’s learn to think like the
gardener and stop saying things like, “I’ll never make it” or “That bad person
will never change.” Instead, let’s be filled with patience and hope!
Discussion questions
1. What parable did Jesus talk about in today’s Gospel?
2. Why did the property owner want to discard the fig tree?
3. What did the gardener suggest?
4. What qualities did the gardener have?
5. What does Jesus want to teach us with this parable?
6. As children of God, what will you do to thank God for his love and
patience to you?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. I turn
to you this day and praise you for feeding me with the body and blood of your
Son. Please let this communion nourish my desire to know you better and grow in
your love.
This week...
Bearing fruit
This week, you can continue your
lenten efforts by visiting or calling a sick person and then praying for him or her. This is an excellent
way to bear good fruit.
Living in hope
This week, try to look at the
people and events in your life through the eyes of hope. In your notebook, draw
or tell about an act of charity or an attitude of hope that a person could show
when faced with a difficult situation.
Crossword Puzzle
