Third Sunday of Lent Year C – March 23, 2025.
Reading: Ex 3:1-8,13-15; Responsorial Psalm 102:1-4,6-8,11; 1 Cor. 10:1-6,10-12 & Gospel Luke 13:1-9.
The first reading tells how God called Moses from the burning bush and revealed himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well as “I Am who I Am” whose name shall be invoked for all generations to come. In the second reading, St. Paul takes the Corinthians memory lane by revealing how a cloud guided their fathers to pass through the Red Sea. The Gospel presents the response of Jesus to the people who felt that the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices suffered because of their sins namely, that it wasn’t the case. Therefore, he challenged his audience – the Pharisees to repent or perish. In like manner, today’s liturgy challenges us to either produce fruits or perish.
Introduction
Friends in Christ, as we continue our Traditional Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, our liturgy charges us to assess our lives on the expected good deeds we are supposed to produce as Christians. In the words of Jesus, the liturgy challenges us to either publish or perish. If Jesus were around today, would He not be charged for using threatening or strong language?
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Ex 3:1-8,13-15) reveals how Moses encountered God in the burning bush when he went to look after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law and priest of Midian. It tells how God called Moses from the burning bush and ordered him to come nearer yet take off his shoes for the place he was standing on is a holy ground. It further discloses how God reveals himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. He promised to deliver them from their slave masters and lead them to the land flowing with milk and honey. God introduced himself as “I Am who I Am,” stressing that his name shall be invoked for all generations to come.
In the second reading (1 Cor. 10:1-6,10-12), St. Paul takes the Corinthians memory lane to reveal how a cloud guided their fathers to pass through the Red Sea. He tells how they ate spiritual food and drank spiritual drink from the rock. He discloses that that rock is Christ. He noted that regrettably, despite all the Lord did for them, they failed to please him which led to their corpses littering the desert. He emphasized that all this happened to serve as a warning to Christians about lust for forbidden things. He cautioned against those who complain warning those who think they are safe to beware of falling.
The Gospel (Luke 13:1-9) presents the response of Jesus to the people who felt that the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices suffered because of their sins. He maintained that it wasn’t the case and called on his audience – the Pharisees to repent or perish. Using the example of the 18 people on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed, Jesus insisted that they were not guiltier than others. Again, he told them to repent. He also told the parable of the fig tree that was due for cutting because, for 3 years, it didn’t give fruit to the owner. But the man looking after it pleaded for just one more year to be given so that he might manure it and if it does not produce, it should be cut down.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Be Obedient Servants: The Holy Ground that Moses took off his shoes in the first reading stands for the Church in contemporary times which is the sanctuary that produces citizens of heaven in this world who distinguish themselves as obedience servants by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Cf. Matthew 5:13 & John 8:12).
2. Approach God with Reverence: By covering his face because he was afraid to look at God, Moses teaches us to approach God in his Holy Place in awe, reverence, and total worship by resisting every temptation to turn our Churches into theatres of jamboree and entertainment.
3. Make God Your Rock: St. Paul’s revelation in the gospel that Jesus is our rock further reveals the mystery of the table of the Eucharist, where like the Jews, we eat spiritual food and drink spiritual drink from Christ, our rock.
4. Carry Your Cross: Our liturgy further teaches that good people too suffer which is why the bible notes that unless we carry our Crosses daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23), we are not worthy of the kingdom.
5. Produce or Perish: The grace of 1 year that was given to the fig tree is a metaphor for the sum-total of our lives here on earth as a bonus that God daily gives each one of us to produce or perish.
Summary Lines
1. The first reading reveals how Moses encountered God in the burning bush.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul takes the Corinthians memory lane to reveal how their fathers were guided by a cloud to pass through the Red Sea.
3. He emphasized that all this happened to serve as a warning to Christians who have allowed lust for forbidden things to take the better of their lives.
4. The Gospel presents the response of Jesus to the people who felt that the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices suffered because of their sins.
5. He maintained that it wasn’t the case and called on his audience – the Pharisees to repent or perish.
Conclusion
We are charged to change the thinking that poverty, sickness, or death happens to people because they are bad. Although the book of Job tried to counter the Old Testament mentality that people suffer because they offended God, Jesus had a hard time trying to explain to his audience that suffering is the human condition that should be embraced with endurance to win the crown of life. As we continue following Jesus on the royal road of the cross, we are reminded that two options lie before us – To produce or perish! Have a blessed week!
