Third Sunday of Lent - March 23, 2025 (Year C)

Continuing along our Lenten journey, we first find ourselves with Moses encountering the burning bush and God's revelation to Abraham's descendants.  I did do a little research and found that Moses was part of the fourth generation of Israelites living in Egypt since coming there with Joseph during the famine.  We see today that God has heard the laments of His chosen people.  We all know how Moses was empowered by God to deliver them from their oppression in Egypt and begin their journey back to the land promised to them.  From this, we see that God will keep His promises to us.  We may not know how or when, but this story, along with the Psalm, reassure us that God will provide.

In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us to learn from others.  It seems odd, given that in my experience humans are naturally curious and observant creatures.  And yet, we consistently make the same mistakes again and again that we have witnessed previously, either by others or, worse, ourselves.  And so this reminder is to all of us, each and every day to be mindful of our words, our thoughts, and our actions.  We have the knowledge of repercussions that came to those in the Bible, from both the Old and New Testament, both the good and bad outcomes.  We are to conduct ourselves accordingly, and because we know better, we will be held to that much higher of standard than if we did not.

And this knowledge of what we should do, I believe is one small part of what Jesus is teaching in this Gospel reading.  Anytime Jesus repeats Himself, I have to believe that it is important, and here is no exception, as we are reminded to repent.  He then goes into a parable of a tree that has been fruitless for three years.  The gardener acts for a reprieve for the tree and will take proper care of the tree and its soil, hoping that this may bear fruit in the future.  This is compared to the alternative of cutting it down completely which gives it no chance of ever bearing fruit again.  In a literary sense, it is interesting to see this parable aligned with God's revelation to Moses.  God has chosen that fourth generation to be the tenders to His tree and bring forth prosperity from their nation.  For us, I think that this is a reminder that our soul, or tree, can be cut down at any time, and that we must nurture our surrounds to provide the best environment for growth.  We have to create the right conditions around us so that the our labor, and God's love for us, can be harvested and shared with those in our lives.


Disclaimer: This will be at the bottom of all reflections, but I’m not intending to put out any sort of professional critique, attempt at a homily, or investigation into the historicity of the readings, but will “let the Spirit move me” as some say, to share what has spoken to me in my reading and reflection on the set of Readings for each week.  

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