Third Sunday in Lent - March 20, 2022
Exodus 3:1-8,13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12; Luke 13:1-9
During a summer, almost a decade ago, I was helping out in a parish in the south of Italy. The Parish Priest was out on his vacation. Those days I would spend time with a few elderly people who were very interested to discuss some issues on God, the Holy Bible and so on, after the morning Mass. Once in the group, 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 that 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 preparing to leave one of the following days...she told the Parish priest, "you know, God's name is I AM. I got to know from the guest priest!" The Parish Priest was upset with me. He told me, "Did you tell them that! No, it is not right! That is Yahweh, the God of the Jews. Not ours!" I don't know how you would react... but I cannot forget the remark of that parish priest, 'that is the God of the Jews'... I did not want to pick a discussion with the parish priest, who was certainly 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 God's anger out on the people. Let us be clear, Jesus did not reveal a new God, a different God - but he revealed a different understanding of God, he revealed a new face of God, a face that was being smudged by all the legalism and ritualism of the time - the face of a God who loves unconditionally, who waits patiently, who gives innumerable chances, who however eagerly wants and desires to see you and me 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 amidst the tests in the deserts of our life; the second week called us to climb the mountain and be transformed in order to belong to God. Today the Word challenges us to bear fruit, because we find ourselves on a holy ground. The Word outlines to us the way to bear fruit - a three point itinerary.
The first challenge is to RECOGNISE GOD - God who is present to us on a daily basis with the superabundance of love. This recognition consists of doing away with all misconceptions of God, not being swayed by the varied conspiracy theories of the New Age! It is to see God and feel God, to realise that we are on the holy ground! We have a treasure that not all are gifted to have - the revelation in Jesus Christ. But it is not for, in any way, judging others or looking down on others, but to recognise the presence of God in our day to day life.
The second challenge is to REMAIN IN GOD - to remain rooted onto the ground, 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 that the ever surrounding presence of God, calls us to remain united in God, so that every situation of our life can be faced and encountered with that enlightening presence, that warns us of the weaknesses, failures and tendencies to go away from the Lord, and become lifeless, barren and dry.
The third challenge is to constantly RENEW OURSELVES - to renew ourselves constantly towards that dynamic existence that God is. It consists of not only understanding God and recognising God, but understand who we are and what we are called to, in the light of our recognition of God. It is a reminder to 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, fruits that will last. We can have no excuses for not bearing the right fruits, because we are on a holy ground - wherever we are is a holy ground, because God surrounds us constantly. However, tough the situation is, God's people bear fruits, fruits that last!
It is logical that if we do not recognise God, we cannot remain in God. And, if we do not remain in God, we cannot bear fruit - for Jesus tells us clearly "without me you can do nothing." If someone raises a doubt, if God will cut us off if we do not bear fruit... the same logic applies: that 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.
