Catechism Links[1]
CCC 210,
2575-2577:
God calls Moses, hears prayers of his people
CCC 1963-1964: Observance of Law
prepares for conversion
CCC 2851: Evil and its works as
obstacle on way of salvation
CCC 128-130,
1094:
Old Testament “types” fulfilled in New
CCC 736,
1108-1109, 1129, 1521, 1724, 1852, 2074, 2516, 2345, 2731: Bearing fruit
 |
| “The Barren Fig Tree” by James Tissot, c. 1896-1900 |
Today in the Church the Elect who are participating in
the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) will be presented with the
Creed. Because of this the Cycle A
readings may be used. An A Cycle post is provided here for those who wish to use those
readings.
Reading I: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
Moses was tending the flock
of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the
desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God
There an angel of the LORD
appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was
surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not
consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at
this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not
burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming
over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from
the bush, Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your
feet,
for the place where you stand
is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,
“ he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he
was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the
affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of
complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are
suffering.
Therefore I have come down to
rescue them
from the hands of the
Egyptians
and lead them out of that
land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and
honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when
I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of
your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his
name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what
you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses,
“Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your
fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered
through all generations.”
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Commentary on Ex
3:1-8a, 13-15
The passage from Exodus is the
story of God’s call of Moses from the burning bush. The Lord indicates that he
has “come down,” indicating that he will intervene in the plight of the Israelites.
He has seen their trials and heard their prayer. Through Moses, God's
redemption will be fulfilled in the land he gives them, "a land flowing
with milk and honey."
There is concern from Moses that he
must be able to tell the Israelites the name of God in whose name he comes. The
Lord names himself “I am who am,” giving no name that can be used to
have dominion over him as ancient Samarian tradition suggests (see Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:20 ff – man
names the animals as a sign that he has been given dominion over them). This is
the origin of the term “Yahweh” used to name God in some English
translations. It is transliterated Hebrew shortened from “Yahweh asher
yahweh,” or “He causes to be what comes into existence.” As an interesting
side note, the use of the term “Jehovah” was a German misreading of the
Hebrew pointed text.
God goes further, instructing Moses
to tell those in bondage in Egypt that he is the God of their fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. This identification was cited
by Jesus in Matthew
22:31-32 and by early Christians as proof of the resurrection, since
the patriarchs live on in God who is the God of the living.
CCC: Ex 3:1-10 2575; Ex
3:5-6 208; Ex
3:5 2777; Ex
3:6 205,
207; Ex 3:7-10 1867; Ex
3:13-15 205; Ex
3:14 446,
2666, 2810
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7,
8, 11
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his
holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his
benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your
iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from
destruction,
crowns you with kindness and
compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the
oppressed.
He has made known his ways to
Moses,
and his deeds to the children
of Israel
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the
LORD,
slow to anger and abounding
in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above
the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness
toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps
103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
Psalm 103 praises God for this
compassion and forgiveness. Three of God’s blessings are enumerated:
forgiveness, healing, and salvation. It recalls Moses’ mission and the
salvation brought through it.
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be
unaware, brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all
under the cloud
and all passed through the
sea,
and all of them were baptized
into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual
food,
and all drank the same
spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual
rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with
most of them,
for they were struck down in
the desert.
These things happened as
examples for us,
so that we might not desire
evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of
them did,
and suffered death by the
destroyer.
These things happened to them
as an example,
and they have been written
down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages
has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he
is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
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Commentary on 1 Cor
10:1-6, 10-12
St. Paul links Christian baptism to
one of its ancient symbols: Moses leading the Hebrews through the parted waters
of the sea. He goes on to link the Eucharist to God feeding the Hebrews in the
wilderness with manna naming it "spiritual food," alluding
also to water flowing from the rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6ff), calling
it "spiritual drink." Yet, because they rejected God’s
commandments and sought material goods instead of spiritual sustenance, most of
those who rejected God were struck down.
The evangelist concludes this
selection speaking especially to the Jewish converts, who point to their
heritage as justification for salvation instead of following the Gospel of
Christ. He warns them that they could be falling into the same trap as their
ancestors.
CCC: 1 Cor 10:1-11 129; 1 Cor
10:1-6 1094; 1 Cor
10:1-2 697; 1 Cor
10:2 117; 1 Cor
10:4 694; 1 Cor
10:6 128; 1 Cor
10:11 117,
128, 2175
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Gospel: Luke 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 fig 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?’
He 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.’”
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Commentary on Lk
13:1-9
In the story from St. Luke, there
is once more a reminder that urgency is required in seeking repentance. The
story begins with an explanation by the Lord that victims of Roman punishment
("whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices"),
and victims of an accident ("those eighteen people who were killed when
the tower at Siloam fell on them"), were not singled out by God
for punishment. These statements are followed by the parable of the barren fig
tree as a way of saying that God, at some point, will become impatient, and
will call sinners to account for their actions.
The incidents recorded at the
beginning of this reading (likely the accidental death of those on whom the
tower fell) are found only in St. Luke’s Gospel. Based upon historical works of
the time, the actions of Pilate were in keeping with his character. Jesus uses
the event to call his audience to repentance.
“Following on the call to
repentance, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the
continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their
repentance (see Luke
3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when
punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of
the age because the delay will not be permanent.” [6]
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Homily:
A very important question
that many of us have asked is answered by Jesus in the Gospel from St. Luke.
Who among us has not asked, either in prayer or in anger, why do bad things
happen to good people? Have we not looked at God accusingly and asked Him why a
loved one suffered some tragedy, or why a natural disaster like the
earthquakes, storms, or other natural disasters took so many innocent lives?
Why did God make those things happen?
The Lord’s answer – he
didn’t! He did not cause a person to get sick or the earth’s crust to slip
causing earthquakes and tsunamis. He created each of us and all that we have
and can see. He gave us all good things to use and gave us dominion over the
earth and its resources. Like our human bodies, all that he made has a cycle of
life and death even to the stars that light the way to his infinite creation.
The Lord tells us clearly
that God did not punish those who perished at the hand of Pilate (“whose blood Pilate had mingled with the
blood of their sacrifices”) or those who had been killed when a building
collapsed (“when the tower at Siloam fell
on them”). No, it was not because they had sinned and thus been singled out
for punishment for those sins. God did not seek vengeance or even justice in
this way. What Jesus says next makes clear what God expects. He expects us to
be responsible for the things we have control over. He expects us to align our
thoughts and actions in accordance with his wishes – the commandments he gave
us.
If we do not, if we continue
to ignore the warnings, and procrastinate in our repentance, we risk spiritual
death. We forfeit everlasting life. The parable of the fig tree, with which the
Lord followed his statement to the crowd, gives us some insights. He tells the
story about how a land owner wanted to cut down an unproductive fruit tree.
We must assume the story is
an allegory and that the unproductive fig tree is the unrepentant person who
does not bear fruit for God’s Kingdom. The landowner must be God who has
expectations that what he has planted will bear fruit. Who, then, do we suppose
the gardener might be? Could it be the same gardener encountered by Mary
Magdalene the morning following Jesus’ crucifixion? Who but Jesus could save
the unrepentant sinner from death? So the cast is now complete. We have God ready
to destroy the tree, the unrepentant tree, which would be shaking in its boots
if it had boots, and Jesus, saying let’s give the tree another chance.
That story is pointed
straight at us. We are told that we have been given more chances to hear the
words spoken when we received the ashes on Ash Wednesday: “Turn away from sin
and be faithful to the Gospel,” or “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall
return.” In either case we are given another chance to find the right path, to
become productive members of God’s earthly kingdom.
As we reach the half-way
point in our journey this Lenten season we are asked once more to look at our
behaviors and to turn away from the things that keep us from producing the
results God seeks from us. He asks two things only. He asks us to love him and
to love our neighbors. If we do this then we will bear great fruit. It is so
simple to say, love God and love our neighbor; but our human nature tries to
get in the way. It is this impulse we must control and turn to the good that
the Lord expects.
The Lord reminds us once
again today how much he loves us. He stands as that wondrous gardener who seeks
to tend us so we can grow and become fruitful. We are asked to turn away from
the things that lead us in wrong directions and are cautioned that there will
come a time when it is too late. We pray today that we do not delay in making
the changes we know need to be made, and so come before him having achieved his
mercy and salvation.
Pax
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2]
The picture is “The Barren Fig Tree” by James Tissot, c. 1896-1900.
[3]
S.S. Commemoratio (A)
[4]
S.S. Commemoratio (C)
[5]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the
psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[6]
See NAB footnote on Luke 13:6-9.
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