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REFLECTION ON THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

Chukwudumebi Norbert ATTA  

During the season of Lent, God through the Church invites us to deepen our relationship with Him, via such attitudes or practices as prayer, penance, almsgiving, fasting and the like. Thus, the Lenten season remains an auspicious moment for each and every one of us – members of Christ’s body, and others, to reflect sincerely and deeply on our call as Christians, and then our call to our vocations – as priests, religious and faithful lay persons.

Even today, the third Sunday of Lent, we see the Lenten themes of repentance, response to God, reconciliation etc, featuring in the lessons for the Eucharistic celebration. The image from the gospel of St Luke (see Lk. 13:1-9) speaks to us of both God's mercy and the urgency or need for a turnaround (for good) in our lives. Hence, the fig tree in the story represents each and every one of us - when we fail to bear the fruits, for which God created and called us. We should also see the gardener as Christ, our Lord, master, and brother, who intercedes for us before God, asking for more time for us, in the hope that we do better, that we bear fruits, that there be positive change in our lives, as children of God We should see every moment and every new day as a chance to do better, to change for good or to do better.

Every moment and new day offers us too, the chance to listen to and respond to God, as the story of the call of Moses and the Burning bush (see Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15) exemplify. While Moses was tending his animals, God called him via the strange event of the ‘burning bush that was not consumed’ and the promptness of his response, and perseverance in following God, are virtues that we are invited and encouraged to emulate and live out during this season of Lent and beyond. Even today God still calls us in unexpected places – on the road, in the farm, in the school, in the market, even in the clubs and just everywhere. Unfortunately many a time a lot of things distract us from listening to God’s call and responding faithfully to him. Let’s learn from Moses’ example, and follow the Lord’s promptings every moment, every time

Finally, this third Sunday behove us to re-calibrate our commitment to God through Christ. Let us not give in to any complacency rather may we renew our Christian lives, via uprooting from our lives, all that is not in line with God’s expectations of us – based on His innumerable “investments” –His grace, love, mercy and providence, among others, upon us Following St Paul’s exhortation (in 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12), the second reading, may we grow in obedience, and commitment to God, and shun every form of “disobedience and idolatry”. We pray that God continue to renew us in our commitment to Him, as we journey with Him during this Lenten season, and even after.