3RD SUNDAY OF LENT: 03.03.2013The call to BEAR FRUIT...
through a three point programme in life,
Firstly,
TO RECOGNISE GOD
present to us on a daily basis
with the superabundance of God's love;
Secondly,
TO REMAIN IN GOD
through the din of daily activity
and every eventual responsibility;
Thirdly,
TO RENEW ONESELF
constantly towards a dynamic existence
that bears fruit,
fruit that will last!
During the summer last
year, I was helping out in a parish in the south of Italy. The Parish Priest
was out on his vacation. During one of those days, i used to spend time with a
few elderly people who were very interested to discuss some issues on God and
Bible. Once a person asked me, does God have a name? I immediately
said...yes..Jesus Christ, the name above all names! She immediately said...No,
what about God the Father..is there a name? I cited to her the first reading we
have today, where God reveals God's name... I AM. the one who was, is and will
always be for eternity. the elderly lady
was so thrilled about it. she kept telling herself, God's name is I AM. when
the parish priest returned and i was about to leave the next day...she told the
Parish priest, "you know, God's name is I AM." The Parish Priest was
upset with me. He told me, "No Christy, that is the God of the Jews. Not
ours!" I don't know how you would react dear sisters... I cannot forget
the remark of the parish priest, that is the God of the Jews... I did not want
to pick a discussion with the parish priest who was not prepared for it, at that
time.
That is the God of the
Jews, yes, and that is the God of Jesus Christ. That is the Father of Him who
revealed to us in fullness who God is. Today, as St. Paul tells the
Corinthians, we all drink from that Rock, the Rock that gives us God to drink. He, the Rock, calls us
today to recognise the real God, whom he came to reveal. In the Gospel today,
to his disciples, he clarifies their age old concept of God - that God punishes, that God is wrathful, that God
takes his anger out on his people. He did not reveal a new God, a different God
- but he revealed a different understanding of God, he revealed a new face of
God - the God who loves unconditionally, the God who waits patiently, the God
who gives innumerable chances, the God who eagerly wants to see you bear fruit.
That is the central
message of the Liturgy of the Word today - the call to bear fruit. In the first
week, we were called to choose God, the second week called us to belong to God.
Today the Word challenges us to bear fruit. And the readings outline to us the
way to bear fruit - a three point itinerary.
The first challenge is to
RECOGNISE GOD - to do away with all misconceptions of God, not giving into the
conspiracy theories of the New Age, to see and feel God present with us, with
his superabundance of love in our day to day life.
The second challenge is to
REMAIN IN GOD - to hold firm to the Father and Mother who has loved us into
existence, to love the Son of God who has won us over with his sacrificing
love, to listen and pay heed to the Holy Spirit who guides us every moment of
our life. To be conscious, of the presence of God and of the fact that each of
us is called by this wonderful and loving mystery, that is God.
The third challenge is to
constantly RENEW OURSELVES - that is to understand who we are and what we are
called to and constantly verify if we are journeying on the way that leads to
where God has called us to be, that state of life where we bear fruit, fruit
that will last.
It is logical that if we
do not recognise God, we cannot remain in God. If we do not remain in God, we
cannot bear fruit - for Jesus tells us clearly "senza di me non potete far
nulla." To our doubt, if God will cut us off if we do not bear fruit, the
same logic responds saying - if we do not bear fruit, it is because we are not
in God. If we are not in God, we will wither away by ourselves and there is no
alternative. That is why St. Paul urges us today, "if you think you are
standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!"
Let us accept the call of
the Word today, recognising God in our daily life, remaining in God every
moment and renewing ourselves constantly, to bear fruit, fruit that will last.