27 October, 2012
Saturday of Week 29; Blessed Contardo Ferrini
FIRST READING
Ephesians 4:7-16
Brothers and sisters:
Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole Body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Ezekiel 33:11
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Luke 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He 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.’”
REFLECTIONS:
What can a calamity, such as a political blood-bath
or a natural disaster, teach us about God's kingdom and the consequences
of bad choices and sinful actions? Jesus used two such occasions to address
the issue of sin and judgment with his Jewish audience. Pilate, who was
the Roman governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter
a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in
the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did to incite Pilate's
wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in the holiest of places for
the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews, this was political
barbarity and sacrilige at its worst! The second incident which Jesus addressed
was a natural disaster, a tower in Jerusalem which unexpectely collasped,
killing 18 people. The Jews often associated such calamities and disasters
as a consequence of sin. Scripture does warn that sin can result in calamity!
Though
the righteous fall seven times, and rise again; the wicked are overthrown
by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected
disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins
and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book
of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous
and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning take responsibility
for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it
can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is
like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through
repentance asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace, it leads
to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrated his warning about
the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts
and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the
people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing
plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy
trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the
Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant
sin. The unfruitful fig tree symbolized the outcome of Israel's unresponsiveness
to the word of God. The prophets depicted the desolation and calamity of
Israel, due to her unfaithfulness to God, as a languishing fig tree (see
Joel 1:7,12; Habakuk 3:17; and Jeremiah 8:13). Jeremiah likened good and
evil rulers and members of Israel with figs that were good for eating and
figs that were rotten and useless (Jeremiah 24:2-8). Jesus' parable depicts
the patience of God, but it also contains a warning that we should not
presume upon patience and mercy. God's judgment will come sooner or later
in due course.
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of
all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines
us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and
his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly
rebel against him and refuse to repent, there is the consequence that they
will lose their soul to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When
God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world
learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin
is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned
to repent.
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time
is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected
death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or
she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that
we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant
sin will result in bad fruit and eventual destruction. The Lord in his
mercy gives us both grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time
is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has
passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness
and holiness?
"Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness
and holiness. May I not squander the grace of the present moment to say
"yes" to you and to your will and plan for my life."
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