Gospel Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus 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.’”
Homily
I can never forget the story of a person who on going to confession would always confess the sins of the spouse and not their own. This continued for many years until a new parish priest arrived in the parish. After a few weeks he decided to teach the person a lesson. After the confession was ended he gave the person a very large penance for the sins of the spouse and almost nothing for their own. The story says that the lesson was well learnt. That type of confession was never repeated.
Many of us have that problem which is described in the story given above; we judge others very harshly but do not judge our own behaviour and so do not repent of our sins.
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The big problem for us is of course that we find it very difficult to judge ourselves with equanimity. Sometimes we try to find excuses for our behaviour (the devil made me do it); sometimes we are unable to forgive ourselves and so we judge ourselves very harshly. Neither attitude is that of an authentic disciple who discovers that he/she is at fault. Authentic disciples accept responsibility for the choices which they make and so do not try to shift the blame for their own weakness onto others, not even the devil. Authentic disciples also forgive themselves trusting in the mercy of God who is all Mercy and Compassion. When we cannot forgive ourselves, we cannot accept the forgiveness of God and we end up being extremely bitter and unforgiving. When that happens we cannot reflect the love of God who is all Mercy and compassion; we can never be truly repentant.
Repentance demands that we accept responsibility for our faults and failings and that we turn back to God who alone can give us the grace to correct our lives in the areas in which we have done wrong.
As we live this period of Lent let us do a true and fruitful examination of conscience which will allow us to accept responsibility for our sins and then let us turn back to the Father, certain that the Father will not let us perish.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for reassuring us that YOU are not a God who seeks to destroy us but a GOD who seeks our salvation. We know that YOU give us every opportunity to change. Help us to accept responsibility for our choices and to turn back to you when we realize that our choices have been harmful to ourselves and to others. Help us to be able to forgive ourselves because we need to forgive ourselves in order to seek your forgiveness. Do not let us fall into despair when in spite of all our efforts to change we slip back into bad habits which we have allowed into our lives over the years. Help us to respond to your grace in positive ways. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
