Different

Listening to the Spirit

O God, author of every mercy and of all goodness, who in fasting, prayer and almsgiving have shown us a remedy for sin, look graciously on this confession of our lowliness, that we, who are bowed down by our conscience, may always be lifted up by your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Listening to the Word

Lk 13:1–9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! 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? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fi g tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 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?’ The gardener said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it. It may bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.’”

Reflection

One of my best friends died of cancer two years ago. Before she died, she had a misunderstanding with one of her in-laws. She died without reconciling with that person. Some people said that God was in favour of the in-law because that friend of mine died. Another example, when the Ormoc landslide tragedy happened, there was rumour going around that a day before the landslide there was an old woman going around asking for water. Nobody in Ormoc gave water to drink to this woman. This woman before leaving said: 'tomorrow you will have a lot of water.' The last example is the Covid 19. Many people died and others survived. Many times, people were saying that God was in favour of those who were saved from COVID 19. Does it mean God was punishing those who had died?

Why am I giving these examples? Simply because in the gospel today Jesus was asked concerning two issues of that time: “the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices” and “those 18 people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them”. The question to Jesus is: “these people who suffered these misfortunes were great sinners or not?”. People during the time of Jesus and even now believe that people who experience misfortunes are punished because they are sinners. But Jesus does not agree with this belief. Sins can not be necessarily linked to tragedies, misfortunes, and pandemics that we experience.

The gospel passage today calls for the conversion of the heart. Repent! Twice Jesus said, “if you do not repent, you will perish as they did.” I believe that the COVID 19 or any other misfortune that may happen in our lives are just opportunities for us to change our life, change our direction and go back to Jesus’ heart. A heart that keeps beating and giving us chances.

Lent is a good moment for us to be reconciled with Jesus and to tune our hearts and minds to his own. This week I went to Dangcagan, Bukidnon for vocation animation and to visit the families of our seminarians. I remember the sharing of a mother. She said that in her house she trained her children to give a tithe, ten percent of their money to God. Every month she asked her children to contribute their tithes. Later she was surprised that God was not asking a 10 percent only, but asking for her son to be a priest.

The plans of God may be quite different from ours. The thinking of God may be totally different from ours. We think that disasters are sent by God: no, it is not so! we think that tsunami is sent by God: no, it is not so! we believe that COVID 19 is sent by God: no, it is not so! we are convinced that God is determined to punish us, but it is not so! Let this season of lent be an opportunity to attune our minds and hearts to those of Jesus.