On this Third Sunday of Lent, we see Jesus preaching to a crowd in the gospel of Luke. In the gospel reading, Jesus has us reflect on two very crucial themes; repentance and bearing fruit in our lives.
In the first part of this reading, Jesus’ message is very clear: “If you do not repent, you will perish as they did” (Luke 13: 30). In the bible, to repent is to have a change of heart and mind towards God and part of this is to turn away from sin and ask for forgiveness. Jesus is calling us to transform ourselves and dedicate our lives to God, taking a closer look into our own hearts.
In the last part of this weekend’s gospel, Jesus tells us a parable about a barren fig tree. In this parable, a person planted a fig tree, but for three years, it didn’t bear any fruit. He says to his gardener to cut down the tree so that the soil could rest but the gardener says in response: “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” (Luke 13: 8-9). This parable presents to us a story message about the patience and mercy of God to those who haven’t repented yet. Sometimes we can be like this barren fig tree when we turn away from God and turn to sin, however, instead of cutting us down, God is merciful and gives us a chance to grow, to bear fruit and to be the people he created us to be. He’s calling us to become better versions of ourselves!
So how does this apply to us as Vincentians? We are always called by God to repent and renew our hearts. We’re called to use our gifts and talents to bear fruit and one way we do this is by serving our neighbors in need!
One phrase you might’ve heard is “See the face of Christ, Be the Face of Christ.” It’s a very powerful and meaningful message that drives how we serve our neighbors in need. To “See the Face of Christ” is to recognize that Christ truly is present in all of us; even in the people who we serve. Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25: 40). We need to remember we’re all made in the image and likeness of God and although we all have our shortcomings, that doesn’t make us any less of a person.
Now let’s focus on the second part of this message: “Be the Face of Christ.” To be the face of Christ is to follow the example of Christ and be like Him to those around us. This gospel shows that God is patient and merciful towards all of us, and we should show that same patience and mercy to those around us! Sometimes when we serve our neighbors in need, we can become impatient and harden our hearts to others, but we’re all called to be like the gardener ,who symbolizes Christ, in this parable. We need to help cultivate and foster those in need and allow them to grow and bear fruits of their own!
Let us pray: Lord, help us transform ourselves and continue to grow closer to you. We thank you for giving us a chance to grow and to bear fruit. Continue to open our hearts and allow us to show your love, mercy, and patience to those around us this Lent and throughout our lives. Amen.