Repentance is also characteristic of the Christian lifestyle. After all, Christian life is a response to the command: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Lately, the Church has been referring to this idea as “ongoing conversion”. Paul, in the second reading, gives expression to this in his admotion: “Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.”
One’s turning to the Lord should result in a life that bears fruits of righteousness. We know that not all those who hear the word of salvation bear fruit. Some types of “soil” do not bear fruit either because these are shallow or because choked by worldly cares. But even these are given a chance. There is one who intercedes — the Total Christ, both Head and Body — for them and works that these may bear fruit.
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Guide to the Reading of Luke 13:1-9
1. Notice that there are two events that introduce the parable on repentance. Both events are lost to us; both however are about tragedies that give rise to the question as to whether the victims were being punished for sins. Jesus answers the concern by saying that even those who were not touched by the tragedy also need to repent.
2. “Repent or perish!” Repentance is a universal call; one should remember here what Paul writes in the letter to the Romans: “All have sinned”.
3. The parable that follows somehow gives the reason why the tragedies mentioned were limited in scope: a chance to repent is given to everyone. Read the parable carefully and try to figure out who is represented in the gardener who tells the owner to give the tree another chance.
A Review of the Readings
There are no clear correspondences in today’s readings. The first reading is taken from Exodus 3 where Yahweh appears to Moses in the burning bush and reveals to him his intent to rescue the Israelites from slavery. The responsorial psalm (Ps. 103) underlines the saving will of Yahweh as laid out in the Exodus-reading. God’s desire to save Israel derives from his mercy and kindness. This idea is underlined in the parable of the gardener who asks a year’s allowance for the fruitless tree.
The second reading from St. Paul (1 Corinthians) is the apostle’s reflection on the the Israelites who were not allowed to enter the promised land. God cared for them all throughout the desert sojourn, but they did not respond with fidelity. “Yet God was not pleased with most of them,” writes Paul, for they were struck down in the desert.” Paul writes that this is a warning for the Corinthians: “Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.”
Suggestions for the Lesson
The season of Lent is a time when we focus on repentance as a Christian lifestyle. The liturgy gives us a lot of materials for reflection on the theme:
1. The responsorial psalm itself is a declaration of faith in God who is kind and merciful.
“He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.”
2. The parable of the gardener in Luke 13 contrasts justice and mercy and also underlines the intercession of the gardener
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