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* G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S *
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4-Mar-07
Dear Friend,
All of us make our mistakes and we long for a second chance to set the record
straight. Often that second chance never comes. Nature never gives you a second
change. You make a mistake once and you pay for it. People too seldom do! But
our God is a patient God who waits for us to repent and change. Celebrate the
second chance this Lenten weekend! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Third Sunday of Lent Another chance! 11-Mar-07
Readings: Genesis 15: 5-12; 17-18; Philippians 3: 17- 4:1; Luke
9:28-36;
Todays first reading from Exodus deals with the call of Moses, who had run
away from Egypt after killing an Egyptian and now lived in the countryside
tending the sheep of his father-in-law. In the desert God appears to him in a
bush that burns and is not consumed. Out of curiosity Moses approached the
burning bush and is confronted by God. Come no nearer for this is holy
ground. God announced that he is the eternal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. This is the God who is and he wants Moses to do something. God
has heard the cries of his people, victims of injustice and He intends Moses to
lead his people from bondage to freedom. But Moses is reluctant. How can I do
it? What shall I say? He questions God, What shall I say is your name? God
tells Moses to say I am sent me to you! Moses is called to a new life, sent
to those in bondage. Like Moses we too are sent in Gods name to others. If we
worship God we too will hear the cry of the people, victims of
injustice and pain, and we too will have to go out and share Gods life with
them. God cannot abide inequality and injustice, he is the God who is and he
calls us and challenges us to go out to his people and be like the God-who-is
with them.
Like a house remodelled
The Dallas Morning News carried a photograph of some prisoners on a
work-release programme. They were restoring a condemned house on the citys
west side. Several days later one of the prisoners wrote to the editor saying:
Thank you for the coverage
. The last time my name and photo were printed in a
newspaper took place the day I was sentenced.
. So it was a real joy to see my
picture in your paper doing something good
.. When I entered the prison 18
months ago, I was a lot like the house we just remodeled
.. But God took charge
of my life and has made me a new creation in Christ. Both the prisoner and
the house illustrate the message of the first reading and the gospel. Moses was
given a second change to go in Gods name to set the people free. Todays
gospel also reminds us that God gives us a second chance, to make our lives
fruitful in service.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
In todays second reading Paul reminds the Corinthians that we are not called
to be Gods slaves but His children. All people are invited to be Gods
children. And because our heavenly father is not self-righteous but patient
with us, we are offered reconciliation with him. Reconciliation is the essence
of the Churchs ministry. We might believe that like Moses we are ready to obey
God and be sent like him. We like to believe that we are on Gods side because
we belong to his Church, are baptized and share in the one bread and the one
cup. But this is no guarantee of itself of our salvation. Paul reminds us that
like many of the chosen people followed Moses and ate the same spiritual food
and drank the same spiritual drink, yet many perished in the desert because God
was not pleased with them. Our lives will reveal whether we are true followers
of Jesus Christ.
Is there a connection between how we behave towards God, on the one hand and
our earthy fortunes on the other? Between sin and suffering? In todays Gospel
Jesus says not in this world. He gives two examples. The first one is about
accidents of his time. He refers to the Galileans who were killed by Pilate
while they were engaged in construction work in the temple and the eighteen on
whom the tower of Siloam fell and were killed. The ones who were killed, says
Jesus, werent necessarily more wicked than those who lived.
Accidents speak
.
Just before Christmas in 1985, America was shocked by an air crash in
Newfoundland, Canada. That crash killed more than 200 American soldiers on
their way home for the Christmas holidays. A few months later in 1986,
Americans were stunned by another national tragedy when the space shuttle
Challenger exploded only 74 seconds after liftoff. Seven astronauts were killed
in that catastrophe. Todays gospel gives us two examples of disasters that
occurred in Christs life time. One of the incidents was the ruthless murder of
some Galileans while they were in the middle of their temple sacrifices. The
victims were probably political agitators and this was Pilates way of
silencing them. The other incident was a construction accident which happened
near the Temple during the building of an aqueduct. Apparently it was a project
hated by the Jews because temple funds were stolen by Pilate to finance it.
These two incidents are brought up because the Jews presumed that those who were
killed were being punished by God for their sins. But Jesus denies this.
Instead, he asserts that what really destroys life is our unwillingness to
repent and change our lives.
Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds
In the second example, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that does not
produce any fruit in spite of the care and nourishment provided. The master
wanted to cut it down after three years but was persuaded to give it one more
year of care and fertilizing. The fig tree in Jesus story is a reminder of the
two kinds of human beings those who give and those who take. Those who only
take have to justify their existence. The Israelites had been receivers of the
manifold bounty of God. But many failed to respond with faith. We too, can fail
him. As with the fig tree, Jesus is kind, loving, merciful and patient. But we
cannot abuse the goodness of God. Although we never know when our last chance
will come, we know that this Lent, if we use it correctly, is a time of special
grace. Am I continuing to respond to Gods love this Lent?
Does God accept our repentance?
A soldier asked a holy monk if God accepted repentance. The monk said to the
soldier, Tell me, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away? The soldier
replied, No, I mend it and use it again. The old monk said to him, If you are
so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about his creature?
Anonymous
If each of us is like a tree which over the years has given proof to its
lack of fruitfulness, fortunately God for his part, resembles the farmer who
patient beyond the limits of what is reasonable, allows his unfruitful fig tree
just a little more time. A year of grace: such was the ministry of Jesus, such
is the time of the Church before the Lords return, such the time of our mortal
life marked out as it is by a certain number of Lents, these favourable times
favouring our salvation. The unalterable patience of Jesus cut through
simultaneously by his profound disillusion with his contemporaries and his
unalterable concern for sinners how it aught to provoke us to impatience with
ourselves! While the sap of life still runs in us, it is never too late to
change our ways. But it is high time for us to start. Let us begin today!
Glenstal Bible Missal
May we fruitfully use the second chance given to us!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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