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ignatian spirituality

parish bible Sunday Reflections

Preparing for the Liturgy of the Word

7 march 2010

3rd Sunday of lent

Ex 3:1-8,13-15; 1 Cor 10:1-6,10-12; Lk 13:1-9

The readings this week give us a vital perspective on God’s love for us. He calls each of us to a relationship with Him. But God leaves it to us to choose how we will respond to that call. If we choose not to have a loving relationship with Him then we will be cut off from Him. Though this is often couched in terms of God’s judgment, in truth it is simply a consequence of a choice we make as to whether we will be separated from God. That choice is expressed here in terms of repentance.

The first reading is taken from Exodus. God speaks to Moses in the Burning Bush and He reveals His plan to save His people as they struggle with slavery under the Egyptians. God’s intimacy with His creation is shown in His revelation of His name and of His character, of being eternal and timeless, to Moses. The picture of God’s love overwhelming Him and causing Him to intervene for the sake of the salvation of His people prefigures the infinitely more momentous intervention when His Son comes to give His life for the eternal salvation of God’s people. In the second reading, St Paul fills in the story in terms of what happened to the Israelites after God’s intervention through Moses. They were ungrateful and disobedient and as a result most of them lost their lives in the desert. Ironically, though God had come to save them from Egypt, they would not be saved from themselves! Their hard hearts prevented them from seeing the bountiful blessings that God had bestowed on them and because of this they denied themselves the love and the salvation that had been offered them by God. St Paul reminds us that we must learn from the example of the Israelites and not make the same mistakes.

The Gospel reading ties these points together. Jesus teaches that all of us are sinful. All of us deserve eternal death for our sinfulness. And all of us are in need of God’s merciful gift of redemption. But this will only be received by those who repent and being aware of their own sinfulness, turn to God to seek forgiveness and claim the work of Christ on the Cross. The repentant who sincerely seek God will be raised. Repentance is the expression of our choice to accept the gift that God extends to us in answer to His call to a wonderful personal relationship with Him. Jesus, in the parable of the barren fig tree, teaches that God in His mercy gives us time to make the choice and to respond to His call. But He cautions that God’s patience is not to be taken for granted. When our time is finally up, in what state will we be found?

As we reach the mid-point of this Lenten season, it is timely for us to carefully consider how we have each responded to God’s call. Have we truly repented for the sins that separate us from God? Or do we continue to harbor sinfulness in the choices we make and the lives we lead? This is a vital choice because the stake is either eternity in God’s company or separated from Him. The lesson from the readings this week is a vital one: the fact that God has paid the terrible price for our salvation does not mean we benefit from it regardless of our personal response to the love of God. The gift is there for the taking: but it is only for the repentant.

Some points for reflection as you read the passages:

1.	What are the things that separate you from true fellowship with God? What can you do during this season to overcome these obstacles?
2.	Can you think of times when you have failed to see God’s love for you? What lessons can you learn from the plight of the Israelites in their response to God?
3.	Can you recall God’s loving mercy in His blessings upon you? How can you express your gratitude for all that He has bestowed on you?