FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE LENT - YEAR C

FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE LENT – YEAR C: (Is 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; John 8:1-11) Theme: Let Us Transform the Stones of Accusation Into the Construction of Christian Life Reflection: We Are Running Towards Our Destiny of Easter - Only Few More Days: We are in the fifth Sunday of the Lent. We are coming closer to the great joy of the Easter. Not a long way to go. Only few days more. We will be in the bosom of that Joy that will last forever. We have been making this Lenten journey: the pilgrimage of spiritual renewal. We must have seen lot of difficulty and great amount of fatigue in the four-week Lenten walk we have done. Apart from this, there must have been also moment of sincere sacrifice and constant prayer which have been our companions on our path. This is the great courage and consolation we have: we are not all alone in our journey, for we have a Great Companion Jesus Christ himself, our Lord and Master. Though we are faced with the few hindrances on our way, it is He who helps us to get along the road. In fact, he never promised a road full of roses but full of stones and thorns. He himself walks before us, paving and preparing the way for us, because he is the Way and the way he places us on is the Way Of the Cross. This is the reason why the Way of the Cross does not belong only to the Lenten Season, but to each and every second of our life, both human and Christian. The only promise he assures us is this: Once we walk through this way, we are certain to participate in the destiny of it, and the destiny is the Eternal Joy. Eternal joy is not just a joy which comes after this life. Joy can be eternal if we learn to tread the difficult path, which is normal and common to the fragile human nature, with faith, hope and charity. When we learn to walk in the way of the cross, we will be empowered, not with the joy of escaping the passion, but with the strength of facing it without fear, always bearing in mind the fruit that will be ours afterwards. The fruit is the Joy. Our forty day Lenten journey is only an initiation which can become or which actually becomes Our Life’s Journey. It may become a journey of three hundred and sixty five days. But we do not fear because we have learnt to walk the path without any difficulty with our companion, Jesus, as our guide. - A Run Towards The Destiny: Our Lenten journey is a course of running towards the Joy of the Resurrection. In fact, St. Paul reminds us that we are running towards the end where a prize is prepared for us. His words are the exhortation for us: ‘I do not think that I have already won the prize or I have already arrived to the perfection; I force myself to run to win it, because I have been conquered by Jesus Christ. Brothers, I do not think that I have already reached it. I know only this: I will forget the past and proceed towards the future; I will run towards the end to arrive at the prize that God calls us to receive there, in Jesus Christ’ (Phil 3:12-14). Let us remember that Paul is writing to the Philippians from the prison. His letter contains the message of joy of being a Christian even in the greatest sufferings of our life. We do not worry of the past, because we have already learnt from it and we have crossed it. Our Christian hope leads us towards the future because a room is prepared for us by our Lord. Between the past and the future we need to lead the life in the faith which makes us go all along without any discouragement and preoccupation: it is a journey towards a destiny and we need to run. We need to run with the joy of conquering the premium that Jesus preserves for us. We should not miss the possibility. We should not lose the prize. Above all, we should not refuse the gift of life that Jesus wants to share with us. Therefore, our Christian life is “a running towards the prize of eternal life”. It is within our reach. We need to open the eyes to see it. We need to extend our hands to touch it. We need to open the heart to reach it and to embrace it. Let us remember again that in our running there is always Jesus who feeds us with the word of encouragement and with the food of will power and commitment. Let us fix our heart on the prize. Let us run towards it with the joy. Readings: God’s Mercy Invites the Fallen Heart to the Renewal - Confrontation – The Context: The gospel passage is the central message for today. The first thing that needs attention is its context. The context is the similar to that of the last Sunday. The context appears as the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus is spreading the good news of salvation. His words are kind and merciful. His invitation of God’s love is extended to all without any barriers. His miracles of healing have drawn the attention of the people. The number of the people who put their confidence in Jesus is increasing. They flock to Jesus both for listening to his message and for getting some favor in one way or the other. The name of Jesus is becoming famous. People start preferring to follow Jesus and to stay with him, and to take his words. The gospel passages of both Sundays, last Sunday and today, reveal the truth that crowds of people come to listen to him. Meanwhile the condition of the religious leaders, or the doctors of the law, is becoming pathetic. Their laws and their words are becoming meaningless and senseless in the light of Jesus new law of love. They develop a kind of jealousy towards Jesus. They are frightened also losing their place in the society and power in the leadership. With the jealousy and with the fear they want to trap Jesus and make him quit from the predication. They have tried many a time before with their words and with their gestures. But every time Jesus has either won the argument they put forward or escape from them because of their incredulity. This time they come with the living case through which they intend to trap him. The case they bring is the woman caught in adultery. - The Trap of the Law: The Pharisees and Sadducees are very confident this time that they can trap Jesus with the law given by God Himself through Moses. For them the law is more precious than anything else. They place the woman sinner in front of Jesus and throw their arrow to him. They call him “Master!”. Already with their referring Jesus as the Master, they want to put Jesus between the Law of Moses and the law of love he is proclaiming. They think that their question is sharper and that Jesus will be in the dilemma to answer it and they can accuse him. Their well prepared question is this: ‘Master! this woman is caught in adultery. Moses has commanded us to stone a woman of such kind. And, you, what do you say about this?’ Jesus would have very well answered: ‘you are the doctors of the law; you know better about the situation; you know also what has to be done in this conditions; so why do you bring her to me; just apply the law also to her.’ Jesus would have said like this and escaped the situation. They would have respected Jesus for obeying the law of Moses and they would have gone back with joy of winning over him. BUT NO. The intention and the mission of Jesus is not to escape the situation but to preserve and perfect the situation. - Jesus preserves and perfects the Law: They wanted to trap Jesus with the law of Moses. Yet, Jesus does not allow himself to be trapped. No, he does not bend to their question and to their sharp arrow. In fact, he is aware of two things. First, he is aware of the Law given by God through Moses. The law is always to create an order in the society and to correct and to elevate man in his human dignity. He respect such law and he does not want that such law is misinterpreted. Second, he also knows that these so called doctors of the law have neglected the essence of the law and changed it to their advantage and favor. Knowing what they talking about and knowing why they are talking like this, Jesus does not speak a word. He just bends down and writes on the ground. What he writes on the ground is not known well. But already the gesture of bending and writing on the ground signify two characteristics: the one who writes on the ground is the master of the situation and he is not interested at all of what is happening around him for that moment. It shows that Jesus takes the situation into his hands. He is not interested in their question and in their attitude. He just bypasses by doing what he likes without answering them even a word. They get annoyed with the behavior of Jesus. Their intention is different: they want to make Jesus talk against the law of Moses and want to fool him in front of the people. They insist him to respond. Jesus is aware that they are trying all the possible means to make him speak something. He gets up, looks at them and asks them only one thing: ‘who among you is without sin, let him throw the first stone on her’. Jesus does not add a word or remove a word. He says this and again he holds the situation in his hand by writing on the ground. They become silent. They did not expect an answer like this. They are confused. They do not know what to respond. Jesus do not insist them. He knows that his arrow is more sharper than theirs. Their arrow is one edged but his is doubled edged. With lot of discouragement they leave the place one by one. Jesus does not allow them to misuse the law given by God. The law is needed not for condemning but to correct the person. He preserves the law from their misuse. Further, he perfects the law of Moses with the ingredients of love and mercy. Love for the person must surpass the law. This is the new teaching the Jesus brings to the world. - Interaction – The Content: The Pharisees and Sadducees have tried to make the woman caught in adultery as the central part of the entire scene. But for Jesus, the sinner woman is not the point of focus. His changes the focal point. He makes the law perfected with love as the central message. When Jesus has changed the whole scene taking it into his hands as the master, no one remained. All those who have come to trap him disappear. Now there remain only Jesus and the accused woman and of course the crowds that have come to listen to him. The attitude of Jesus is very particular. He does not deliver long discourses in the situations of this kind. He speaks just a single word. His interaction is more of mercy than of mere words. Already with his loving presence he wins the situation and purifies the sinner. Jesus asks the woman: ‘where are they? No one has condemned you?”. The woman already enters into the sphere of Jesus’ love. She recognizes him as the Master and the Lord. In fact, she calls him: ‘Lord’. She says: ‘No one, Lord’. The words that come from Jesus’ mouth are very sweet and at the same time very admonishing: ‘I will not condemn you either; go and do not sin anymore’. His words are sweet because they contain the message of pardon and love; they purify her from inside and make her acceptable person in the society. He does not encourage either the sin. He condemns the sin but he pardons the sinner. He admonishes the woman not to get into the same kind of situation by sinning again. In other words, he invites her to live a new life in God’s love and mercy. He reminds her of her dignity of being God’s loving child. The interaction between Jesus and the sinner woman is the content of the gospel passage. In the presence of Jesus, in the context of salvation he brings, the sin has no more power and the sinner becomes transformed and renewed creature. This is the message of the first reading of today: God promises to make everything new and renewal of human beings takes its realization in the person and in the mission of Jesus Christ. Conclusion: Stones Thrown At Us – A Corner Stone For The Construction Of Christian life - Let Us Not Throw A Stone At Others: The message that is offered to us by the reflection of today is very simple, yet profound. We need to learn not to throw a stone at anyone. Jesus invites us not to accuse anyone who wrongs against us. We need to change this kind of attitude. If we start throwing stones at the fault of others, our bags will be full of stones rather than other things. We need to remember the truth that “the measure we measure with is the same measure we will be measured” and further, “if we judge others, we will also be judged by others”. Message of Jesus is clear: Do not accuse and you will not accused; do not throw a stone and you will not be thrown a stone; you give and the same way you receive. The same content is expressed elsewhere: ‘the one who has a big log in his eye is not in the position of removing a small thing that is in the eyes of the other’. Jesus says: You, Hypocrite! First Remove the log from your eyes and you will be able to see clearly the eye of your neighbor. Therefore, let us not throw any stone at others. - Let Us Transform The Stones Into The Construction: As Christians we do not accuse anyone and we do not throw any stone at others. This does not mean that we do not receive any stones at all. The insults, the accuses and the abusive attitudes will be thrown at us. We need to face lot of incomprehension and will be condemned. But we have also an answer: an answer of mercy and love. We need to become the masters of the situation: not that we need to become indifferent but we need to act differently. We need to demonstrate an attitude of care and concern towards our enemies or towards those who throw stones at us. Not easy. Yet it is not impossible. Jesus is Our Master and Model for us in this. He has answered all the insults and accusations with the humility and mercy. The same Jesus is inviting us to transform the stones that the others thrown at us in ignorance and in jealousy into the foundation stone for the construction of Christian life. It is a great task of our faith. We are capable of doing this because we are immersed in the love of Jesus. It is not impossible. We only need to apply what we learn from the faith to our personal and Christian attitude. Instead of hills of stone, we will have a beautiful castle of Christian life.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE LENT - YEAR C

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR C (Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32) Theme: Let Us Be In The House of God With Faith and With Joy Reflection: God is always merciful towards his children - A walk towards the mercy of God: We are entering into the fourth Sunday of the Lent. Our journey comes a little bit closer to the destiny. The point of arrival is nearing. We are preparing to participate in the great joy of the Easter. We are on the way and we need to continue until the end without turning back and without losing hope. We are not alone in this walk. Jesus is our companion. He walks with us. He enriches us with his own experience. In fact, it is he who has guided us until now and guides us through until the end. In the first week, he has called us to undergo the desert experience of prayer, fasting and solitude to know what we are and to know what God wants from and through us. In the second week, he has taken us up to the mountain and has given us the glimpse of glory that we will be having after completion of the way of passion and cross. In the third week, last Sunday, he has pruned us, nourished us and helped us to become beautiful and fruitful tree in the vineyard of the Lord. Today, he leads us one step further. He guides us “to meet” the merciful face of God. The wonderful story of “the prodigal son” is the spiritual nourishment that he provides for us both for reflection and for living. It is the story which reveals the mercy of the Father towards his children in the ultimate mode. - Luke – The Evangelist of Merciful God: In this liturgical year we have the gospel reading from Luke. Luke presents the essence of God as kind, merciful, forgiving and embracing the sinners and eliminated of the society. Mercy of God towards his children who have gone astray from him is present in every word of his Gospel. Jesus is the presence of God’s mercy in the world. Each evangelist has his own way of presenting the gospel to his audience. For Mathew, Jesus is the perfection and accomplishment of the Old Covenant and Law. For Mark, Jesus is the Messiah and Savior of the world. For John, Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God’s love. For Luke, as it was already indicated, Jesus is the incarnation of God’s mercy in the world, especially to the poor, oppressed and marginalized. Jesus presents to the world a God who waits with love for the return of dispersed children and a God who embraces them with forgiving mercy. - God of the Old Testament is God of Mercy: The theme that “God is kind and full of mercy” runs throughout the Old Testament also. From the beginning of his entrance into the history of Israel, God made known himself as the Father who is merciful. It is his mercy that made him to go in search of his people who were unfaithful to him and thus were in the condition of “lost sons”. He did not leave them to their fall and fate. He searches for them. He goes out to meet them. He interacts with them. He calls them back to his bosom. Finally, he organizes a feast and a banquet for all his returned children. It is his mercy that delivered them from the slavery of Egypt and lead them to the land of milk and honey. His mercy is manifested in every word he utters through his prophets. His kindness is revealed in every action he accomplishes for the restoration of his people. It is only the Jewish authorities who have interpreted the law for their advantage that have changed the image of God. They have demonstrated the Old Testament God to be a God who punishes and who condemns his children. However, the entire truth of God’s nature of mercy and kindness is manifested to the fullness in the person and work of Jesus. His mercy does not have any borders. He meets even those who are considered “cursed” by his religious society. He sits with the sinners and tax-collectors. He eats with them. He shares their bread. God is present in the person of Jesus. His mercy is manifested in the action of Jesus. Entire gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the one who always loves to stay with the poor, small and simple. The three stories of pardon and mercy present in the fifteenth chapter of Luke are the perfect examples for this. The mercy of the Father will be profoundly understood once we enter into the reflection of Gospel passage today. Readings: Return of the Son and Embrace of the Father - A Feast of Reconciliation - Difference of Attitude – The Context: Jesus reveals the mercy of God through his words and actions. By preferring to stay with the least ones of the society he becomes a man for others. His entire life is a testimony of God’s salvation to these little ones who are rejected and neglected. Jesus expresses in his words how the merciful God takes side of them. Jesus proclaims this truth in his proclamation of the kingdom of God. The highlighting chapter in Luke is the present chapter in which Jesus manifests God’s mercy for the lost ones in three different parables. The last one is presented to us in today’s gospel reading. However, before entering into the significance of the story, it is obligatory to understand and enter into the context in which Jesus narrates the story. Jesus wants to make a difference of attitude between two groups of people. One group consists of Pharisees and Sadducees. Another group consists of the Publicans and Sinners. The context is that Jesus is preaching. The sinners and tax-collectors come to stay with him and to listen to him (Luke 15:1). The Pharisees and Sadducees also come, not to listen to his words, but to criticize and blame him because of his presence with the cursed ones (Luke 15:2). Observing this attitude of both groups, Jesus starts telling a story (Luke 15:3). One group, though e - Story of the Younger Son – An attitude of Repentance: The younger son of the story demands the share of his property, takes it and goes far away from home, spends all that he has and finally finds himself in the utter condition of hunger and humility. In his helpless condition he comes to his senses, he realizes his grave mistake and he does not feel shy to accept his condition in the presence of his father. He returns. He shows an attitude of repentance. His repentance is both inwards and outwards: he comes to himself and he comes to his Father. o Returning to himself: The first thing in the repentance is to realize one’s condition and correct himself with the sincere and committed sorrowfulness for what he has done. The younger son realizes that it is he himself who has rejected his father. He acknowledges that it is he himself who have developed a kind of distrust towards his father. Distrust is the cause for the rejection. But once he comes to know that he has created such a horrible condition of the slavery for himself, he remembers the days of his stay at home and with his father. He says to himself: there are many workers who have abundance of bread at home and whereas he is suffering here with the dejection. He gets up with confidence that he would be received by his father. He accumulates his trust in his Father’s merciful acceptance. It is this act of getting up that shows that he has returned to himself. o Returning to the Father: Personal realization of proper error committed is not enough. It needs to be acknowledged with the one against whom it is directed. The younger son does it. He does not come back to his Father’s house merely because he is starving with the hunger or because he can have abundance of food. He comes back with the contrite heart and purified intention. He knows the consequence of his act: he cannot be anymore his son. He is aware that he has no more place in his father’s house. He wants to be at least a servant. His act of contrition is expressed in his words: “Father, I have sinned against the heaven and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Take me as one of your servants.” With the renewed confidence in the father he returns to his house. - Story of the Elder Son – An attitude of Reluctance: In the second part of the story that Jesus narrates, there is another son whose attitude to be observed well in order to make the different between the two sons. He is the elder son. He is always with his father. He never disobeys his father. His attachment to his father’s house and his work according to his father’s will, show that he is the true heir of the family. His attitude of obedience and observance of the law is praiseworthy because he is “just and righteous” in the eyes of his father. He has good record of personal conduct. His life goes well smoothly with the rapport between him and his father. He is happy with his father. He does not bother about his brother who has gone away. He feels safe in the presence of his father and he stays there. Later, the story takes an “U” turn. The problem starts with the return of his brother. He comes to know that his father is celebrating a feast on this occasion. His attitude changes. His conduct certificate is torn apart. He becomes arrogant and reluctant in mind and in act. He stays himself away from all these festival moments. o Unwilling to Enter into the House: First thing he does is to be reluctant to enter into the house. He accuses his father and murmurs against him for treatment he has given to his returned brother. He expresses it with the heavy words: “I am here serving you all my life. I have never disobeyed your command. But you never gave me a single goat to feast with my friends. Now you are celebrating the return of YOUR son who has wasted all your properties.” o Jealousy for His Brother: The change of attitude of the elder son is not directly towards his father but towards his brother. Until now he is happy that he is the only heir because his brother has gone away from house. Now a shade of fear falls on him. He becomes jealous of his brother. He never wished the return of his brother. With his righteous works, he thought he also is worthy of the father’s house. He becomes unwilling to step inside. He becomes reluctant to accept his brother. He becomes arrogant with the fear of losing his importance. - Story of the Father – An attitude of kindness: The younger son has rejected his father and has returned to him with the attitude of repentance. The elder son has refused to enter into the house because of his brother and has preferred to stay away from his father with the attitude of arrogance and jealousy. The bad has turned into good. The good has become bad. The only unchanging attitude is that of the father. For him both are same because both are his children, no difference of bigger or smaller, righteous or sinner. He shows his care equally to two of them. This is the attitude of kindness on the part of the father. o Goes out to embrace the younger: The Father is so kind and merciful that he does not will that his son being lost. He allows his son to take a decision in the freedom. He experiences an interior agony when his son moves out of his house. He bears the pain in silence. His love for the son does not disappear however. He wills that he returns. He expects for his coming. He waits for it with lot of sorrow in the heart. He watches for him day and night. When he sees his returning son already in the distance, he does not wait for his stepping in. He goes out to meet him. When he reaches him he does not waste a moment. He does not wait for the “words of sorry” from his son. He could not control his joy of re-finding him. He embraces him with love. He makes him again his son. The words of repentance of the son seem to be only in the air. Even before those words reach the father’s ears, his heart already bursts with joy. He orders for the feasting. o Goes out to plead the elder: The life of the younger son has reaching to a happy end. He is back again at home, with his father, but this time with full of confidence. The elder returns from the fields. He inquires the motive for the feasting. When he comes to know the true cause for the father’s joy, he becomes impatient with his father and starts grudging against his brother. He stay outside of the house. Again it is the father who goes out to meet him. He pleads him to enter in. He does not want that the house loses anyone more. His house is full with the two. He will for the fullness of the family. He convinces the elder. He makes it clear that it is an occasion of joy and feasting because the one who has returned is not someone foreigner but his own brother. The kindness of the father is manifested again even his love for the elder one. o A Feast of Reconciliation - A Feast of Life: The fullness of life takes place only when all live in unity and in mutual self-offering. All that is divided has to be united again to be perfect and complete. Here in this story too, the family is complete with the father and the two sons. As long as there remain only two – the father and one son – the family is incomplete and imperfect. The fullness is missing. There needs to be a gathering of all in the same bond of love. Only then there will be a feast. It is father who creates again the unity of his children and the fullness of his family. All have come together. The past is forgotten. The distance is erased. The guilt is pardoned. The mercy of the father, the fraternity of the brothers reign there. In a word, all are reconciled one to other. Therefore, it is not a just any feast. It is above all a feast of reconciliation. It is father who reconciles both of his sons to himself and reconciles one to the other. Two things take place: Joy Re-found and Joy Extended. The joy is because of the meeting of the son and the father. But that joy is extended to all. The entire family, household and the village partake in the joy. The joy is the result of repentance and return. Conclusion: A Lesson – “To Be” in the Father’s House and “To Be” Merciful Towards Others - An Ever-Living Story: The story that Jesus narrates today is the story which still its effect in every family. It is ever living because of it touches every relationship. We need to learn understand this truth. From our reflection we can carry to our homes for today and for the days to come two essential elements: we are invited to be always in the Father’s House and we are commissioned to be merciful towards the others. - We have life only in God’s House: Many a time, we act in our freedom. Often we tend to miss the way choosing what we want rather than giving priority to what God wants from us. We want to show our autonomy and independence. It is fine. We are created to be a free and knowledgeable beings. It does not mean that we forget our Creation and neglect our house or overlook our brothers and sisters. In freedom we need to grow. The true freedom makes one become closer to his creator. Often, we find ourselves accumulating all that we think we deserve and go away from the house of God. But, certainly there will be one day in which we come to our senses. We realize our mistake. We think we are lost. In that moment, as Christians, we need not worry. We have the way out. We have a return path made ready. We need to return to ourselves and to our home. There is always a possibility because when we put one step ahead, God puts four steps towards us. He makes our interaction possible. When we are outside, when all our forces and capabilities are devoured, we lose our life. We have no more in us. All that is in us and around us is the hunger of selfishness and the thirst of depression. On the other hand, in God’s bosom everything is abundant and overflowing. All that we lost will be regained. We will be nourished by the Spirit of courage. We have life and we have life only in God’s presence. Let us learn to stay with confidence and with joy in the Father’s house so that we can participate in the feast that he organizes for each one of us. - We have to be merciful to others: God embraces us in mercy when we get up from our fallen life and return to him. He is merciful to us. In turn, we are called to show mercy towards those who have done something wrong against us. Mercy is to be contagious. It is received and when it is received it is passed and extended to others. What is mercy. It contains two intertwined aspects: to look who is in need and to extend the hand to elevate him from his pathetic condition. God is merciful, because, he has seen our human fragile condition and furthermore, he has extended his hand to rise us up to the level of his children. We have to learn to be merciful in this sense. What we receive from God, we share it with others. The more we share what we have, we will be given more. It is the love formula of our Christian faith. Therefore, let us learn to show mercy to those who wrong against us. Only then our Lenten observation will be fruitful.

THIRD SUNDAY OF THE LENT - YEAR C

THE THIRD SUNDAY OF THE LENT – YEAR C: (Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15; 1 Cor 10: 1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9) Theme: We Are Invited to Produce Good Fruits In Our Daily Life Reflection: We are the Trees Planted and Nourished by the Eternal Gardner - Christian life is a tree: Today, we enter into the third Sunday of the Lent. We are coming closer to the great feast of Easter. In the preparations we make and in the spiritual journey we continue to make, we are nourished and sustained by the Word of God and the Sacramental Grace. Our Lenten journey started with the desert experience – an experience of inner journey into ourselves with the prayer and fasting. It has taken its course towards the mountain Tabor – an experience of being transfigured in the glory of the Lord. The Lenten walk takes another step ahead with this week. Today, we are invited to experience the care taking of the Eternal Gardener Jesus Christ. We are the seeds planted in the vineyard of the Lord: the seed is the baptismal profession of faith and rebirth into Christian life. We are destined to sprout up and grow: the seed is not destined to remain in the ground but to break the ground and come out. Our life is like a growing tree nourished and cured with the water and manure: the water is the Word and the manure is the Eucharist. The sustainment of the growth is enriched by the rays of the sun: the light is the Spirit. Our Christian growth is protected with the fence: the fence is the Church. - The tree is given all that it needs for growing: All the necessary requirements are supplied. We have no reason to keep indifferent. We have no excuse to escape the growth. No other way. We have to grow. Insofar we receive and accept the ground to stay, the spirit to breath, the nutriment to live, the walls to keep us safe, we keep growing. The failure of growth and incapacity to bear fruit happens only when we consciously reject what we are given. If we reject the ground on which we stand – we will not have any place to stay and the consequence will be this: we are uprooted and thrown away from the garden. If we neglect the breath and the nourishment we are provided with – we will not have any chance to live and he consequence will be this: we become unfruitful and barren. If we walk out of the fencing walls in which we are protected – we will not have any possibility for the redemption and the consequence is this: we are out of our proper place and we become pry to the enemies. Above all, if we throw all the providence of grace to the dust, we offend the Gardner who has planted us, taken care of us and finally protected us with the power of his presence. The Gardner is the origin of our life. He is the sustainer of our being. He is the goal of our moving. If we do not acknowledge our entrance, living and destiny, as the gracious gift of the Gardener, then we become wanderers and finally perished. - Gardener continues his loving care for his trees: The gardener who gives life to the tree and thus extend his garden does not want that any tree loses its life. He gives more attention to the fading tree. He enhances it with love and mercy. He stays with it and each second he safeguards its growth. He gives another possibility to bear fruit. He wants his garden not only beautiful with the colors of look but also meaningful with the calories of life. Each seed, each plant, and each tree is very dear to him. Each single fruit, be it small or big, gives him lot of joy. He wants that each single tree takes into itself and makes use well of the ingredients offered. He will that each single tree, extending its rams, produces the desired fruit. Until the tree grows to the level of bearing good fruit, he does not take rest. He keeps awake. He guards well. He makes the necessary amendments. He cuts what is growing wrong and provides what is lacking. He continues his care with love. His presence and his mission is only to take care of the trees entrusted to him. He puts his heart and soul for giving them growth and making them fruitful. He gives his own life to make them complete and perfect in their life. It is the love of the gardener “to be” for the trees. The trees that “receive his life” have to become not only fruit-giving-trees but also “care-taking-gardeners” to the other trees. Readings: Conversion – A Burning Within and A Bearing Witness - Conversion – A Burning Within (First Reading): We have an astonishing scene in the first reading. Moses sees a bush burning but not consummated. He wonders and wants to know what it could be. He goes ahead. As he comes closer to the bush, the voice of God stops him. The voice admonishes him: “Moses, Moses, do not come near. Remove your sandals because the place you stand is the holy soil.” From the burning bush, God calls Moses to be his weapon of liberation for the people of Israel. The burning bush and God’s call have been interlinked. Burning bush is the interior conversion and the God’s voice is the call. Moses is enkindled with the desire to see and experience the nature of burning bush. He is invited not only with external removal of the sandals, but also internal burning for God. This burning is not natural burning in which one becomes ashes. This burning is the supernatural or spiritual burning. It is the purification of the Spirit. One is just purified, not consummated utterly. Moses is called to undergo such kind of burning – interior purification, a conversion within. It is the first requirement to be worthy of participating in the design of God. Only after this God makes him clear his will of redeeming his people from the slavery of the Egypt. When we allow ourselves for the authentic conversion to the working of the Spirit, he will burn us from within, without making us condemned to the ashes. True conversion is always from within. It may appear externally as the burning bush but what really happens is an internal purification: the Spirit prepares us for the acceptance of God and his will. A burning within, the true conversion, thus means also “having a burning desire for God”. - Conversion – A Bearing Witness (Gospel): The conversion, a burning within, is only the first step. It is only the sowing of the seed. It needs to sprout up. It needs to grow into the tree. The interior conversion must bear the fruit. It has to be externally witnessed. Conversion does not remain hidden. It may happen within the closed door, in hidden and in secret. But the consequences of it do not remain locked up. Gospel proposes that the true conversion is a bearing an external witness for the internal change. The fruits of conversion have to be converted into the life-giving nourishment to the other. Jesus explains in the mode of a parable of the one who has planted a fig tree. The master of the vineyard expects a fruit from the tree. He has a right to look for the fruit, because it is with this destiny that he has planted and has sustained it with the proper nourishment. His plan is carried out only when the called tree bears the desired results. The master of the vineyard, in the Gospel, comes to the tree with lot of expectation and desire to taste the fruit of his creation. Three years pass by. No result. No fruit. No conversion. No change. The one who planted with the purpose has the right to cut it off if it does not grow well. The passage suggests once again that the nature of the tree is to grow and bear fruit of its kind. If it truly grows interiorly, the results of it will be seen externally. The conversion within cannot hide its essence. It will sprout into and it will bear the witness. In a word, the burning within (first reading) has to be transformed and elevated into the testimony of life (gospel). - Jesus Is Our Invitation To The Conversion: Through the readings of today, Jesus is inviting us to that conversion which has two equal directions: internal burning and external witness. The total and radical conversion of life – of mind, heart and soul – begins within and extends to the life-giving testimony of Christian growth. To put it in other words, the seed of faith sown deep within our hearts with the baptism, has to transform into the act of love as the opening and giving up of our life. The Lenten invitation to each one of us is the same invitation that Jesus offers to us: be converted in faith and bear fruit in love. - Jesus Is Our Intercessor With God: Though, we are planted and cured, as the fruit bearing trees, many times we fail to be so and to do so. It is because of our indifference towards Jesus invitation. It is because of our negligence of the nourishment he provides us with. Our creator asks from us the fruit. It is his right because it is only because of him we have our existence in the world. As the existing human beings, called and sanctified by the Creator, we grow and grow, not only physically but above all spiritually. It is our given responsibility. As being of knowledge and freedom, we need to be responsible. If we violate the right of God and if we forget our responsibility, the result will be our failure of bearing any fruit. In that condition, the Creator has the right to pluck us out and plant something/someone else. This is the situation we find ourselves often because of our cold attitude towards God and towards our own selves. But we have something more to be consoled. The end is not here. When we are faced with this situation, and when we have lost our possibilities to regain our life, there is Someone who stands-by us. It is Jesus Christ. He comes to our aid. He takes our word and our cry. He pleads for us. He becomes our intercessor with God. He opens the space for another chance. He calls upon the patience of God. He prays on our behalf: “Master, let us leave it for another year. I will dig it around. Put manure. Let us see whether it will bear fruit for the coming year.” Jesus is our prayer. Jesus is our hope. He is our Gardener. He will ask God for some more time. He will take care of us with little more attention. He will provide little more water of faith and little more manure of Eucharistic and spiritual strength. Let us not, thus, worry because we have failed. We have an opportunity to get up. We can still rise up. We can return to the fertile and fruitful state. In our helpless condition of barrenness, we have only one hope: Jesus Christ. He is not only our Eternal Intercessor but also our Eternal Gardener. In his presence and with his hands we can be re-formed into the life-giving trees. Conclusion: Conversion Is Our Only Answer To God through Christ and in the Spirit - To Be Christians Means To Be Exposed: The true conversion, as we have already examined, is the internal transformation extended to external testimony of life. It is, indeed, the nature of Christian life. Christians are not the hidden people. They are not the people who live in secret. Their life is to be open. To be Christians mean to be exposed to the world. Jesus did not hide himself. He comes to the public. He enters into the life of the people. He stays with the people and he touches them to the profound. Our Christian life is anchored in the faith, the roots are in the ground. It is true. Yet, it is testified in the love, the fruits are open and available for others. Our life is open and extended. Our foundation – the root – is God. Our destiny – the fruit – is the Spirit. Our life – the stem – is Jesus Christ. Love cannot be hidden. Hidden love is not ultimate love. Love needs to be open and extended. Christ, extends his love even to the point of death and resurrection. To be Christians means to be like him. as the Christians, our task is not only being the fruit-bearing trees, but also to be gardeners of the world. We are selected and sent to cultivate the garden of the world and provide it with the ingredients of our life so that it become both beautiful and fruitful garden of Eden where God is present with his people. In other words, the Lenten message invites us: To Be Fruitful and to Make Others Fruitful. - Conversion is our answer to God: God waits for us. He demands that we become fertile. He desires that we bear fruit. Moreover, when we fail, we shows his patience. He gives us another possibility through the intercession of Jesus, our gardener. The only answer we can give him, during this Lenten season, is the true conversion of the heart. It is the only answer that be elevated as the sincere sacrifice to him. In turn, it happens if we allow ourselves to the action of the Spirit. The Spirit burns us from within, without doing any harm. The conversion, according to the readings of today, is both becoming a burning bush and a fruit bearing tree. Let us ask the Spirit to sanctify us. Let us ask Jesus to strengthen us. Let us ask God, the Father, to safe-guard us in his love. Only then we can realize the theme we have taken up for today: we are invited to produce good fruits in our daily life.