3rd Sunday of LentExodus 3:1-8, 13-15 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9 (Also these may be used any day this week: Exodus 17:1-7. John 4:5-42) The Gospel this weekend is this:
Luke 13:1-9 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. 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! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! 4 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? 5 By 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, 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?' 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.'" The first reading is this: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Meanwhile 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. 2 There an angel of the LORD appeared to him 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. 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." Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 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. 8 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, the country of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites… 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?" 14 God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you." 15 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; this is my title for all generations. The second reading is this: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. 6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did… 10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. 11 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. 12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. MEDITATION: This 3rd Sunday of Lent is reminding us of the fact that a good or bad connection with Christ is a matter of life or death for us and even if we think that we're standing firm, we should deepen our roots to make sure that this world of temptations won't blow us down. We don't know what problems will come our way, but once they do come, living through them well is up to us! In medicine, avoiding problems in advance is called prophylaxis. Lent is prophylactic! The Gospel begins with the bad news of some poor Galileans murdered and of 18 people in Siloam killed by a falling tower, and Jesus warns that we should all be aware that putting up with difficulties may face us all. It certainly faced Him in Jerusalem! But Jesus 'turned the tables' with his Resurrection, and he continues today, calling us to connect with him. He does so with the image of fig trees bearing no fruit but being given another chance by a gardener who says that he'd try fertilising etc.. That represents the way Jesus himself planned to keep giving mankind the chance to love properly. It's to help us realise that the Cross of Good Friday is the result of mankind's bad connection with the Love of God, and the Resurrection shows that Jesus gives us the chance to reconnect. Just as well! The first reading is of Moses and the 'burning bush' which doesn't get destroyed. It's a symbol of the fact that the evil of mankind won't have 'the last word'. The Word of God (Christ) will! He was crucified... but rose and is alive and active. But do we today open up to him? That's why the second reading is of St Paul warning us that the challenges of crossing the Red Sea etc. symbolise the challenge facing us to overcome sin in lent. The way they cured their thirst by drinking the water from the rock represents the call to us to be people who listen to God's Word - Christ, and meditate and learn - people of prayer. Physical death is something that we certainly don't have to acquire for ourselves, but it is up to us to die to selfishness and sin so that we can live afterwards. I think that the reality of physical death is a good idea of God to inspire us to make effort during these few years on earth. It will help life on earth, but it's primarily in function of life after death. As St Paul puts it, if it is for this life only that we hope in Christ, then we are the most pitiable people of all! (1 Cor 15:19). This goes far beyond purely mundane thinking. Let's not be superficial about our faith like the humour of the comedian Woody Allen: “I don't want to achieve immortality through my work ... I want to achieve it through not dying”. Let's not be un-ambitious. Maybe we haven't done major harm, but is there any good that we have failed to do? The Gospel isn't criticising branches giving bad fruit, but branches giving no fruit at all! The mention of the Crossing of the Red Sea (second reading), reminds me of our Baptism, and a renewal of the Baptismal Promises is part of the Easter Vigil. Baptism assigns us as 'priest, prophet and king' - with the potential to become 'living Christs'. That may seem very ambitious to you, but that's the way God is! The burning bush that doesn't burn away before Moses represents the fact that God doesn't give up hope. He keeps believing that we have potential. The way Moses removed his shoes represents the attitude of reverence with which we should celebrate mass and take communion. It's not so that our churches smell of socks this Sunday! The name God gives for himself, 'I AM', may seem weird, but it's not. 'The one who is' - 'Yahweh' - is simply a way of telling us that He is the foundation of all existence. Without God, we would not have been created! Neither would a little ant or mount Everest! As we renew our respect for God, the call to mission gets renewed. The call to Moses in the book of Exodus, "I have seen how my people need to be set free", is with reference to the Jews in slavery in Egypt long ago, but it symbolises the way we're all slaves of sin and selfishness in this world. Riches, honours and pleasures captivate us and Easter is all about being freed. But step one is to humbly appreciate that we need to be freed. That's why we always begin mass with the 'confetior' - "I confess...". Later, the words of Jesus remind us that God is certainly concerned, to the point of Jesus giving his flesh and blood on Calvary, then every mass becomes a prologue of Easter Sunday because we remind ourselves of his Resurrection. Man's wrong-doing has a solution. So does poverty, and violence, and M.S... and death itself! Connecting properly with Christ should influence how we plan our whole lives. Without Him, we're 'disconnected'. Our physical bodies are all going to become meat for the worms at some stage (cadavers - carne de vermis) and you don't have to be a doctor to know that!... but it's good to remind yourself of it, in order to humbly reach out for Christ. I'll always remember my first time cutting up a dead body in medical school. On my way home that day, I started talking to these strange foreign missionaries (Verbum Dei) in Dublin. They didn't give any marvelous explanation, but just invited me to sit before a model crucifix and think. So I thought, and thought, and the truth is that these many years later, I keep thinking! It's like jumping on a train that keeps moving. God called me to be a missionary with a vow of poverty, but I feel really rich. M.S. is just a little bump on the track! We could all be really rich if only we presented ourselves completely to our rich king who multiplies and gives back with interest! Let's free ourselves of the 'Caesars' of this world and give to God what belongs to God (Lk 20:24). Lent can be like a pilgrimage - as is our whole life - and the journey may take effort, but there's a good end point! In fact the hosts used for the Eucharist are made of 'unleavened bread', because that was what they could prepare rapidly for the journey of the Exodus from Egypt. We're all on a journey! Jesus wants to give our 'barren branches' another chance to bear fruit, and thereafter we'll be able to help others to connect! ............Dara. En ESPAÑOL: 3° Domingo de Cuaresma: Ex 3:1-8, 13-15. 1°Cor 10:1-6, 10-12. Lc 13:1-9. Este tercer Domingo de Cuaresma nos está recordando que una conexión buena o mala con Cristo es lo que da vida o muerte y aunque uno piensa que está firme de pie, conviene profundizar nuestras raíces para asegurar que el mundo de tentaciones no nos va a tumbar. No sabemos que problemas nos van a venir, pero ¡una vez que vengan, nos va a tocar a nosotros mismos aguantarlos! En la medicina, el prevenir problemas se llama profilaxis. Así es el Cuaresma. El Evangelio empieza con la mala noticia de matanzas y de la caída de una torre, y Jesús nos advierte que siempre puede ser que nos toque a nosotros también. Le tocó a él mismo, algo aún peor en Jerusalén. Pero Jesús logró un 'giro copernicano' con su Resurrección, y continua hoy, llamándonos a juntarnos con él. Lo hace con la imagen de higuera que no da fruto pero reciben otra oportunidad de un jardinero que dice que les va a fertilizar etc.. Aquello representa el hecho de que Jesús mismo quería seguir dando a la humanidad la oportunidad de amar correctamente. Es para que sepamos que la Cruz del Viernes Santo es a causa de la mala conexión de la humanidad con el Amor de Dios, y la Resurrección nos muestra que Jesús nos gana otra oportunidad para conectar. ¡Menos mal! La primera lectura es de Moisés y 'la zarza ardiente' que no acaba de consumirse. Simboliza que la maldad de la humanidad no tendrá 'la última palabra'. ¡La tendrá la Palabra de Dios (Cristo)! Le crucificaron... pero resucitó y está muy vivo y activo. Pero ¿hoy en día le abrimos nosotros a Él? Por esto la segunda lectura es de San Pablo avisándonos que los desafíos del cruce del Mar Rojo etc. simbolizan a los desafíos del hundimiento en el pecado. El hecho de que saciaban su sed bebiendo el agua de la roca, simboliza la llamada a nosotros a ser gente que escucha la Palabra de Dios - Cristo, y medita y aprende - gente de oración. No tenemos que lograr para nosotros mismos la muerte física, sino que nos toca morir al egoísmo y al pecado para vivir después de la muerte. Creo que la muerte física es buena idea de Dios para motivarnos a poner esfuerzo durante estos pocos años en la tierra, y es primordialmente una puerta para entrar en la Vida después. Como dice San Pablo, si es solamente para esta vida que hemos puesto nuestra esperanza en Cristo, entonces somos los más dignos de compasión! (1°Cor 15:19). Esto es muy por encima del pensamiento superficial mundano. Como dice el chistoso: “No espero alcanzar la inmortalidad por mi trabajo... Espero alcanzarla por no morir”. No seamos poco ambiciosos. Quizás no hemos hecho mucho daño, pero ¿hay cualquier bien que hemos dejado de hacer? El Evangelio no está criticando tener ramas que dan mal fruto, ¡sino tener ramas que no dan nada! El hablar del cruce del Mar Rojo (segunda lectura), me hace recordar el bautismo, y una renovación de las promesas bautismales es parte de la Vigilia Pascual. El bautismo nos hace 'sacerdotes, profetas y reyes' - con la potencia para ser 'Cristos Vivos'. Quizá te parece ambicioso, pero ¡así es Dios! La zarza ardiendo que no se consume ante Moisés, representa como Dios no deja de esperar. Sigue creyendo que tenemos potencia. El hecho de que se quitó sus sandalias, representa la actitud de reverencia con que deberíamos celebrar la misa y comulgar. ¡No es para que nuestras iglesias tengan olor de calcetines este domingo! El nombre que Dios se da a si mismo, 'YO SOY', puede parecer raro tonto, pero no lo es. 'Él que es' - 'Yahvé' - es simplemente una forma de decirnos que Él es el fundamento de toda existencia. Sin Dios, ¡no hubiéramos sido creados! ...¡ni cualquier insecto ni el monte Everest tampoco! Al renovar nuestro respeto por Dios, la llamada a la misión está renovada. La llamada a Moisés en el libro del Éxodo, “he visto como mi gente necesita una liberación”, está refiriéndose a la esclavitud de los Judíos en Egipto hace mucho tiempo, pero simboliza como estamos todos esclavizados por el pecado y el egoísmo del mundo de hoy. Las riquezas, los placeres y los honores nos cautivan y la Pascua trata de la liberación. Pero lo primero es reconocer humildemente que necesitamos ser liberados. Es por eso que empezamos la misa siempre con el “Yo confieso...”. Más tarde, las palabras de Jesús nos recuerdan claramente cuanto le importa a Dios, hasta entregar su cuerpo y sangre en el Calvario, y desde allí cada misa es como un prólogo del Domingo Pascual porque recordamos su Resurrección. La maldad del hombre tiene solución. También lo tiene la pobreza, y la violencia, y la esclerosis múltiple... ¡y la muerte misma! Conectar bien con Cristo debería influir nuestros planes para la vida entera. Sin fe, estamos 'desconectados'. Nuestros cuerpos físicos van a llegar todos algún día a ser carne para los gusanos (cadáveres - carne de lombrices) y ¡no hace falta estudiar la medicina para saber aquello! Pero conviene recordarlo, para acercarnos humildemente a Cristo. Me acuerdo siempre de la primera vez que me tocó examinar un cuerpo muerto en la escuela de medicina. Al volver a casa aquel día, empecé a charlar con aquellos misioneros extranjeros (Verbum Dei) en Dublín. No me dieron ninguna explicación maravillosa, pero me invitaron a sentarme ante un modelo de la Cruz y meditar. Entonces medité y medité, y la verdad es que años después, ¡sigo meditando! Es como coger un tren que viaja mucho. Dios me llamó a ser misionero con voto de pobreza, pero me siento rico. ¡La esclerosis múltiple es simplemente un pequeño bache en el camino! ¡Podríamos gozar de mucha riqueza, todos, si nos entregáramos totalmente a nuestro Rey rico que multiplica y devuelve con intereses! Liberémonos de 'los Césares' de este mundo y demos a Dios lo que pertenece a Dios (Lc 20:24). La Cuaresma puede ser como una peregrinación - como es nuestra vida entera - y puede ser que el viaje a veces cueste, pero ¡tiene un destino muy bueno! De hecho las ostias de la Eucaristía son de 'pan ácimo' porque así es como pudieron preparar rápidamente para el viaje del Éxodo de Egipto. ¡Estamos todos de viaje! Jesús quiere dar otra oportunidad a nuestras 'ramas infecundas' a fructificar, ¡y desde entonces podremos ayudarles a otros a conectar! ............Dara. Comments are closed.
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