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24 mar 2019
24/03/2019 – 3rd Sunday in Lent - C

24/03/2019 – 3rd Sunday in Lent - C

Reading 1 EX 3,1-8.13-15 * Psalm 102 * Reading 2 1 COR 10,1-6.10-12 * Gospel LK 13,1-9

 

Who is God for us? Who are we for Him? What kind of relationship can be established between us and Him? These could be the questions which today’s readings give an answer to, an answer that is pushing us to welcome and strengthen the ties with God, those strong ties created through the holy baptism. We should not forget that Lent is a time devoted to prepare us to firmly renew the duty coming from the baptism, in a way to enjoy its fruit with renewed understanding!

God shows Himself to Moses. Escaped Egypt, he finds himself in the desert, feeding someone else’s animals. Running away, he had to let go any intention to save its people from the slavery under the pharaoh and from the hate that does not leave alone even his brothers themselves. He needs to admit that man, counting only on his own strengths, cannot do anything for the benefit of men. He has accepted the fact that he cannot do anything anymore, but God no, He does not give up!

The injustices and the cry of the oppressed are seen and heard by God, who is neither insensitive, nor far, nor indifferent. He has also seen Moses’ desire: the latter, with his own strengths could not do anything, but God, with him, can make true more than anything he could have imagined or thought.

First of all it is necessary to meet, getting to know each other, establish a relationship. And, alas, God shows Himself to the eyes, the ears and the heart of Moses. Moses also makes himself known, as if God did not know him already!

Moses’ eyes see a fire, a fire that is burning without consuming. His ears hear the voice that makes clear God’s thoughts and name. Moses’ heart begins to love that God who is showing Himself as his fathers’ friend, their protector, always present in their life. He is “I am who am”, He is the one who accompanies and listens, who keeps an eye on His people to save it.

While He reveals Himself, God calls. Now Moses is the one who knows God’s “feelings”, and he cannot do anything but putting himself at His service. He too wants to become known to God, and he lets himself being known as the one who knows he is without abilities, and therefore he would like not to get involved.

It is difficult, though, to convince God to abandon us to our comfort. He knows our strengths are empty, but He also knows that His presence in us becomes an irresistible strength: therefore, He does not listen to us when we would like to be left alone.

Moses, with God’s name on his lips, needs to go and do something for Him, that is to say for His people! He cannot think only of himself. This is what Saint Paul is advising us to do, not to desire “evil things”, so a selfish life, easy wellbeing, without putting any effort in trusting God!

The people, guided by Moses in the desert towards freedom, “grumbled”, it was not trusting God, thinking of Him as a God who did not care for them or, even, who wanted evil to be done to them. It was always ready, that people, to complain about the guidance given by its Lord, notwithstanding the fact that it had already many proofs of His presence and mercy. Whoever does not have faith in God’s love “suffered death by the destroyer”! It is not enough to think we are good, because our goodness is inanity: only God’s strength will be able to keep us on our feet!

 

This message needs to be learned by the citizens of Jerusalem too. They think they are good, better than the Galilees killed by Pilate’s soldiers in the square in front of the Temple, better than the eighteen people killed by the pieces of a tower ruined on them. They are convinced that whoever dies of a violent death, in fact, deserves it: they need to be great sinners to deserve such a punishment! Jesus teaches: “Let us not to think you are better than anybody! If you are not dead, give thanks to God for His patience; He lets you live a little longer despite your sins. Your sin, in addition, is serious, it is the most serious of all: you, in fact, can see the Messiah and you do not convert to Him, you can see the Son of God and you do not listen to His Word, you can see and hear the Lord and you do not do anything to serve Him”.

God’s patience would be already over if it was not for Jesus. He came to deflect “the ax at the root of the trees”, as Saint John the Baptist would say. The short parable at the end of today’s Gospel is describing us Jesus’ task: He keeps asking the Father to give us a year’s time, a year of grace; He keeps repeating the struggle of His passion in order to give us what we need to bear fruit in His kingdom. Through His Body, Jesus, in His martyrs and in His saints, continues the work of His passion, and in this manner he bears fruit, the sweet fruit of the fig tree, that is the knowledge and the obedience to the Father’s will: the entire world enjoys them.

Jesus then was evidently thinking of the tree that represents His people, but today He tells us the same parable referring to us instead! He is the fire that makes us burn of love without consuming us, He is the voice that calls us to reveal His name to men, in order for them to get to know the love they are loved by, and the holy and joyful freedom to serve Him! He offers Himself to make an effort in order for us too to let ourselves being involved in God’s love for all men, in need of light, communion, forgiveness and salvation!