St. Richard of Chichester Church
Stained Glass Windows
of the Four Evangelists
Breaking Open God's Word
Introduction
If you've ever had questions about what the Scripture Readings proclaimed at Mass on Sunday are saying or how they are relevant to your life today, then this is the resource for you! This webpage has been created in an effort to help those who peruse its contents to prepare for the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.
Each week we will post a brief synopsis of the Sunday readings that will place the readings in their historical context, include insight into the message being proclaimed, its relevance to our lives today, and some reflection questions to ponder as you attempt to apply their message to your daily life. Due to copyright issues, we cannot post the actual readings on our website, but we have provided a hyperlink for each reading that will take you to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website where the readings are posted. Just hit your back button to return here to read the commentary.
You can also experience Breaking Open of God's Word in a group session on Monday evenings from 7:00 - 8:00 PM in the rectory. The benefit of the group discussion is that we can delve into more detail and can share multiple insights among the participants. Breaking Open God's Word sessions are free, so stop in whenever time allows to get the most out of the Sunday readings experience!
Third Sunday of Lent
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Overview
Last week’s readings reminded us of our need to trust God, to move beyond a complacent relationship and to take up our calling to be disciples of the Lord. This week’s readings remind us to be proactive in our relationship with the Lord for it is a relationship that should not be taken for granted.
The First Reading
In the first reading God reveals himself to Moses, a lowly shepherd, in a most spectacular way. But take note of how. God appeared as a curiosity. Moses probably would have moved on with little thought had he seen a bush on fire, but he took the time to notice that this fire was no ordinary fire for it was not consuming the bush. So with curiosity peeked, he moves in for a closer look and low and behold he finds himself in the presence of God the Almighty.
God reveals himself to us in a myriad of ways both grand and small: through signs and symbols, through human interaction, through creation, etc. But if we fail to look for God, if we fail to actively seek God out, we will fail to encounter him. Moreover, take a look at how God responds to Moses’ inquiry for his name. He responds, “I AM who am.” God refuses to be known by a name. Rather, he wants to be known by what he does. Hence we have a God known as the Creator, Lord of Lords, the God of Mercy and Compassion, the God of Love, etc. If you were to be defined by your actions what would people call you? How has God revealed himself to you in the course of your life? What can you do to become more aware of God’s presence in your life?
The Second Reading
In our second reading, Paul reminds us not to take our relationship with God for granted. Just as God provided for the Israelites while journeying in the desert, God provides for us today. But do we take that presence and God’s providence for granted? The Israelites did and we sometimes do too. Think of your own personal relationships. Whether it be with a spouse, a parent, a child, or a close friend, often times we grow so comfortable in our relationship with them that we come to expect certain things and take for granted their presence or what they do for us. It is easy for us to do the same in our relationship with God. Who are some of the people in your life that you take for granted? When was the last time you let them know how much they mean to you? In what ways do you take God for granted? When was the last time you let him know of your love for him?
Paul also challenges our complacency. We may think that our relationship with God is all that it could be and that we are leading good and holy lives, but is that true or are we deceiving ourselves because we don’t what to change or perhaps we don’t know where to begin? Every relationship we have grows and evolves over time. Our relationships as married couples, with our children, family and friends grow throughout the years of our being together. So is it too with our relationship with God. Like all of our interpersonal relationships, our relationship with God needs to be cultivated and nourished through prayer and works in order for that relationship to grow. If we think there is no room for improvement then we are merely kidding ourselves.
The Gospel
The Gospel reading is a challenging one. There are many references to fig trees throughout scripture and with good reason. The fig tree was a symbol of God’s blessing. The state of the fig tree became a symbol for the righteous and the unrighteous. It was also a symbol used for Israel. A healthy fruit producing fig tree was symbolic of the righteous who embraced and responded to God’s blessings. Whereas the fruitless or dying fig tree was a symbol of the unrighteous who squandered or ignored God’s blessings.
In today’s story, Jesus begins by talking about two recent disasters in the community, one natural (the collapsing of the tower) and the other human (Pilate’s murder of several Jews). The people blamed the victims in both cases by believing that God was punishing them for their sinfulness. Of course such a notion was rooted in the cultural and historical time period of Jesus. Such an idea seems ridiculous today, right? Or does it? Our world has been besought by many disasters in recent years from tsunamis to hurricanes to devastating earthquakes, and in several instances, prominent religious and political figures have stated that the act was the result of God punishing the people for their sinfulness. Indeed everyday ordinary folk have even talked about God sending these calamities as signs for us to change. Jesus responds to such thinking by exclaiming, “By no means!” Jesus reminds us that we are all sinners and that we are all in need of repentance. Failing to repent we will meet with the most horrible of fates – an eternity excluded from God’s presence.
Jesus tells the story of the fig tree to emphasize God’s mercy and compassion. Our God is a God of second chances. He wants nothing more than for us to be in a right relationship with him. He wants nothing more that to share his love with us and for us to reciprocate that love. The tree in the parable has been barren for three years, an indication that it is beyond hope of ever bearing fruit, yet the gardener asks for one more chance to see if it can be persuaded to bear fruit. We are that fig tree! Our sinfulness places us at odds with God’s abundant blessings. We are barren outside of a relationship with God. Only by being in a right relationship with God do we bear any fruit (i.e., do we experience fulfillment). The fate of the fig tree is left unanswered. Did it respond to the gardener’s nurturing and produce fruits or did it fail yet again to produce anything and seal its own destruction?
How will you respond? What in your life is preventing you from experiencing the fullness of your relationship with God? What areas of sinfulness must you overcome to be in a right relationship with God? Like the gardener in the story, God will give us everything we need to change, to overcome, and to grow. We need only to embrace it and act upon it.
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