Homily Third Sunday of Lent Year C:
Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Exod 3:1-8a, 13-15;
·
Ps 103:1-4, 6-11
·
1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12
·
Luke 13:1-9
A
Merciful God Yesterday, Today and Forever!
As we journey through Lent with
wonderful scriptural passages our confidence continue to grow in a merciful
God, who is yesterday, today and forever. The God who reigns, who has planted
us as a vineyard, fig trees in this life to yield fruits. He also disciplines
us when we sin. We are confident in his presence, the God of our Fathers and
Mothers: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses. We are confident
in his protection, provisions, love and forgiveness, when we turn to
him in repentance. He is a God of all moments, events, circumstances and times.
He does these mercifully!
In the times of Moses and of the suffering Israelites
in Egypt and in the wilderness, God manifested himself, his saving glory and
mercy, to the Israelites, through Moses who he discovered during the event
of the burning bush (Exod 3). In that event, Moses did not discover God. Moses is
rather discovered by God a merciful God (Ps 103, Jonah, Micah, Exod 34:5-7) and
he is drawn in to divine purpose. Moses is the human agent of divine salvation.
God commissions Moses to go to Pharaoh and to the Israelites. With
Moses’ initial objection, God revealed himself as the one who is (ayeh
ahser ayeh, ego eimi), who creates, who controls, who protects, who
intervenes in human history, who liberates, who provides, who redeems,
who forgives, who fulfills his promises, and the one who saves! He is the one
who was, who is, and who will continue to be. God will be what he will be. Who
he is cannot be reduce to a single word nor his love limited to a single event.
God manifests himself to us, his human
agents, in varied ways, exemplified in the events of the exodus: in the
hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, in the cloud, in the manna he provided, in the
food, in the water from the rock, in the signs, symbols, in the ten
plagues, in the crossing of the sea, in the murmuring and in the various trials
of his chosen people and of course, through human agents, like the leadership
of Moses! Remember, we human are not perfect! We should also dispose
ourselves to as agents of evangelization to the service of the Lord and of our
neighbors, especially in this season of Lent!
Paul was aware of this, as well as the kind
of self-discipline that our Lenten season requires. The more reason while speaking to the
Corinthian Church, during his time, Saint Paul points to these events, of the
Exodus, and to the ever presence of God, in the clouds of events, and in
our neighbors. Paul says, “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and
sisters that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the
sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All
ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, yet God
was not pleased with all of them.....These things happen as an example for us.”
An example, so that we may today be more committed, repenting and trusting the
Lord, who is ever presence with us.
How many times do we not hear in the
Gospels, especially in the Gospel of John that Christ/God is the great I
AM, the Ego Emi, who controls all events and has planted us in this
life, as vineyard, as fig tree, for a purpose, to grow, to yield fruit?
In today’s Gospel similar message is
heard (Luke 13:1-9). Christ invites us in his goodness, not only to
repentance and renewal, especially in this time of lent, but he wants us to be
that healthy parabolic fig tree, that vineyard bearing good fruits;
fruits of selfless services, fruits of love, gratitude, graciousness,
forgiveness, faith and perseverance in moments of trials, recognizing his
ever presence with us!
That is to say that our Christian
life today [particularly in this Year of Mercy] must be daily lived with
the consciousness of the exodus events, the need for repentance and
forgiveness, and of the consciousness of ever presence of a merciful God in our
lives in various and varied ways and moments! Granted that, today the
drums of war, terrorism, stories about ISIs, poverty, illnesses, loss of our
loved ones, and many other socio- political, religious and economic
challenges are still been heard, we want to be like Moses, and be opened
to the many ways that our merciful God wants to work in us and through us, so
that others may experience God’s constant mercy, and ever presence, that
is Who God Is- through our words, deeds and actions!
Reflection Questions
1.
How often do we remember
this very true nature of God, namely, his mercy, love, and kindness (Exodus
34:6-7, Ps. 103, Ps. 85, Jonah)?
2.
How often do we see our
daily challenges as a form of divine discipline and trials?
3.
In our trials do we remember
that God is who he is, he is with us always?
4.
In what ways can we
relate to Moses or to the parabolic fig tree of today’s Gospel and help members
of our religious communities to do the same?
Homily Third Sunday of Lent Year C: Fr. Michael U.
Udoekpo
·
Exod 3:1-8a, 13-15;
·
Ps 103:1-4, 6-11
·
1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12
·
Luke 13:1-9
The Ever Presence of a Merciful Christ, in our midst
As we journey through Lent with the scriptures our
confidence in a merciful God continues to grow. We are confident in his
merciful presence, protection, provisions, love and forgiveness, when we turn
to him in repentance.
Let me begin with the 2nd reading of today. While
originally addressed to the Corinthians’ Church, Paul wants us today to learn a
lesson from the Book of Exodus (Exodus= going out), the goings and the comings
of Israel, their trials and difficulties in the desert, how they reacted to
these trials, and of course the role of Moses in the 1st reading
could serve as a Lenten disciplinary measures for us today.
Paul warns, “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers
and sisters that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through
the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, yet
God was not pleased with all of them.....These things happen as an example for
us.”
Significant in the 1st reading, the Exodus
story, that Paul is referencing, is God’s merciful choice of his people
and his readiness to liberate and save humanity through human instrument,
Moses, whom he called. With Moses’ initial objection, God revealed
himself (in the burning bush Exodus 3:15) as the one who is (ayeh ahser
ayeh, ego eimi), who creates, who controls, who protects, who
intervenes in human history, who liberates, who provides, who redeems,
who forgives, who fulfills his promises, and the one who saves! He does all
this, because he is a merciful God (Ps 103).
Again, it is a meaningful name, “I am who am,” for
each of us, old and renewed Israel to remember, especially in the face
hunger, thirstiness, and temptations to complaint, to disobey, object, resist,
murmur or doubt the presence of God in our midst. God is always there! Moses,
Christ and Paul knew this!
Our Christian and daily living is an “exodus.”
Think of our going and coming. Each day many of us wake up, exit our
homes, come to the church and from the church we exit to our cars, offices,
places of meetings, shops, farms, gardens, court and class rooms,
business areas, enter and exit trains, boats and planes and return home most of
the time safely with our friends, children, and grandchildren as days and
weeks and months pass by.
These are not without ups and downs. Sometimes our cars
are broken down and at another time, we find ourselves locked out of our rooms,
or stuck in the desert of frustration and starvation. Our computers are broken
or our telephone lines are not going through or the batteries need recharging.
In our offices and work environment we are tempted to over-judged, serve but
ourselves, consumed in our self-confidence forgetting the role of God in our
journeys and the invitation to exit and empty ourselves for others. Paul warns
us not t be like some the ungrateful Israelite.
Similar warning is heard in the Gospel reading of
today (Luke 13:1-9). Although he is a merciful Christ, he invites us
in his goodness, to the Lenten disciplines of repentance and renewal, especially
in this time of lent. He wants us to be that healthy parabolic fig tree,
bearing good fruits; fruits of selfless services, fruits of love, fruits of
gratitude and graciousness, and fruits of faith with the recognition of
his ever divine presence in our midst, homes, study rooms and places of work.
Reflection Questions:
1.
How often do we remember
this very true nature of God, namely, his mercy, love, and kindness (Exodus
34:6-7, Ps. 103, Ps. 85, Jonah)?
2.
How often do we see our
daily challenges as a form of divine disciplines and trials?
3.
In our trials do we remember
that God is who he is, he is with us always?
4.
In what ways can we
relate to Moses or to the parabolic fig tree of today’s Gospel and help members
of our religious communities to do the same?
