A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 5, n. 15)
3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – March 11, 2007
“The Patient Mercy of God”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15 // I Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 // Lk 13:1-9
N.B. Series 5 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 2.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
Last February 27 at early dawn, I was at the Manila International Airport checking in for my flight back to the States. There was a long queue of passengers waiting. I whiled away my time by conversing with a very nice Filipino lady who was returning to Nagoya, Japan. Married to a Japanese, she is working as a part time caregiver in a nursing home in Nagoya. I remarked that Filipino caregivers are known for their tender, loving care. She concurred and narrated a story about a Filipino caregiver who made a positive difference in the life of a formerly grouchy Japanese elderly lady. After experiencing so much tender, loving care from her caregiver, the elderly lady started to be less irritable, began to smile and eventually became transformed into a very pleasant person with a sweet disposition. The merciful and gentle kindness of the Filipino caregiver brought about a conversion in the life of that Japanese lady.
On this third Sunday of Lent, the Gospel passage (Lk 13:1-9) speaks of a patient, merciful God who calls us to conversion. The Parable of the Fig Tree that we hear in the Gospel reading, while it underlines God’s compassion and forbearance, also stresses the urgency of repenting before it is too late. The gardener gives the unfruitful tree one final chance to bear fruit. The Parable of the Fig Tree contains an ultimatum. Moreover, it is narrated against the backdrop of two tragic incidents: the murder of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and the accident involving the tower of Siloam falling down and killing eighteen victims. Jesus’ incisive call resounds through these tragedies: “But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you begin to reform.”
Indeed, conversion is an essential and ongoing necessity if we wish to be true followers of Christ. Sin is destructive, alienating and tragic. Conversion involves turning away from sin and a decisive turning towards God - a building up of an intimate relationship with God. Jesus is the last chance – the final opportunity – the culmination of God’s long history of goodness and opportunities calling us to conversion. God warns us not to procrastinate, but to begin our conversion today and dedicate all our energies into it.
Harold Buetow remarks: “To accept Christ’s message is to be open to conversion. As the anonymous poet wrote: If all the sleeping folks would wake up, and all the lukewarm would fire up, and all the disgruntled would sweeten up, and all the discouraged would cheer up, and all the estranged would make up, and all the gossipers would shut up, then there might come a REBIRTH IN CHRIST. Conversion means to respond to God’s care for us, to devote ourselves to a life of vigilance day in and day out, and constantly to renew our cooperation with God’s grace.”
God’s compassionate and redeeming mercy fully revealed and actualized in his Son Jesus Christ was already at work in the Exodus events of the unconsumed burning bush and the call of Moses (cf. Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15). Both the theophany in the form of a burning bush and the conversation between the Lord and Moses in which God revealed himself as “I am who am” underline the Lord’s boundless mercy and his benevolent plan to liberate his long-suffering people. Faithful to his promise, God guides the completion of salvation history as it gradually unfolds.
According to Aelred Rosser: “The whole idea of Moses’ election is that God wants to rescue the Israelites from their affliction and renew with them the special relationship of old – as a people. This reading reminds us again that, from the very beginning of salvation history right up to our present day, God calls us in community, redeems us in community and expects our service to take place in community. And God takes the initiative. We are recipients of divine favor. How is it that we find it easy to forget? … It is our vocation to spread the news of what has been accomplished in our regard, accomplished by the great I AM, the God who brings into being everything that is. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God who has approached us in Jesus and who continues to intervene in history through the communities of humankind throughout the world.”
The reality of conversion, both in the community and personal level, is a response to the grace of God who seeks us. Conversion is a continuing growth in holiness and Christian commitment through the merciful kindness and grace of God. The biblical scholar, Eugene Maly affirms: “We do not make ourselves Christians. God’s grace does that. Neither do we grow as Christians by our efforts alone. Again, it is God’s love that empowers all growth. Maybe that explains why the first reading from Exodus is given us this Sunday. It reminds us of the kind of God we have, a God whose name tells us of his presence in our midst, a presence that makes reform a joyful process.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. Do we realize that God is continually revealing himself to us, personally and as a community? Are we grateful that we are recipients of divine favor, just like Moses and the people of Israel? Do we experience the loving God as a liberating and redeeming God? What are the areas in our personal and community life that need liberation?
B. What does the self-disclosure of God, “I am who am” mean to us? Do we realize that God’s self-disclosure is ever mysterious and evokes wonder and awe? Inspired by the vocation of Moses, are we ready to go wherever God would send us and proclaim: “I AM sent me to you”?
C. Do we realize the urgency of personal and community conversion? How do we heed Jesus’ warning based on the two tragic events mentioned in the Gospel: “But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you reform”? What lesson do we derive from the Parable of the Fig Tree? Are we ready to receive and respond radically to the last chance and final opportunity given us by God for redemption – his only Son Jesus Christ? Are we willing to be a fruitful fig tree?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: God of all compassion, rich in mercy and kindness, you manifested yourself to Moses in the burning bush and fully revealed yourself to us in your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to repent and turn away from our sins in order to embrace you and follow your saving will. We acknowledge our sinfulness. When our weakness causes discouragement, let your love fill us with hope. May your patient mercy move us to respond to the grace of redeeming love you offer us in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.” (Lk 13: 3, 5)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray that the people of today may respond fully and radically to Jesus’ call for penance and conversion. As Christian disciples and through acts of kindness and mercy, let the Good News of salvation be experienced effectively by people around you, especially those in need of liberation, healing, justice and peace.
B. ACTION PLAN: To help us to be more open to profound religious experiences revealed to us by the “I am who am” and to help us to be fruitful in our Christian discipleship, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 15): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
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Website: WWW.PDDM.US