Third Sunday of Lent - Msgr. Simas

As we enter the halfway point of Lent, we hear the psalmist tell us, “Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.” Ps. 103 We are not journeying alone; the Lord is with us.

Today’s readings remind us to be open and receptive to encountering God in our everyday lives. The Gospel echoes the focus on repentance from the beginning and ending of Lent and the necessity of growing along the way, of personal conversion.

In the first reading, Moses unexpectedly encounters God in a burning bush. God tells Moses, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them…” Ex.

In our second reading, recalling past human failures in history, St. Paul encourages us to be vigilant as we make our Lenten journey.

In the Gospel, Jesus affirms the realities of death and also the need to repent from sins. He insists that his followers must grow, change and repent from sin throughout life, saying directly “I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish.” Paraphrasing a former school principal, Jan Cooper, “what part of ‘if you do not repent’ doesn’t understand?’”

Jesus offers the parable of the fig tree as a way to reflect on what repentance entails.

Some of the early Fathers of the Church tell us that the compassionate gardener, who begs that the fruitless fig tree not be cut down, is Jesus, who intercedes for us until the end of time: “Wait a little while, (the gardener says), I shall cultivate the ground around the tree and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.” LK We are given time to reflect upon, repent, and amend our shortcomings.

As in Moses’ time, God continues to act among us, seeking people willing to wonder, to fall in love with God, and then to act accordingly

不要害怕

当我们进入这个四旬期的中途点时，圣咏告诉我们，“上主富于仁爱宽恕，极其慈悲，迟于发怒”。祂提醒我们，在这个朝圣的旅途上，我们并不孤独，天主与我们同行。

今天的读经提醒我们要敞开心灵，随时准备在日常生活中与天主相遇。福音也呼应了对四旬期中要求我们悔改的重点。尤其是每个人在这段时间内，不断地转变，与成长的必要性。 读经一说到，梅瑟无意间在燃烧的灌木丛中遇到了天主。上主说：「我看见我的百姓，在埃及所受的痛苦；听见他们因工头的压迫，而发出的哀号；我已注意到他们的痛苦。所以我要下去，拯救他们」读经二圣保禄宗徒回顾过去人类在历史上的失败，鼓励我们保持警惕，在四旬期时要小心，免得跌倒。在福音中，耶稣指出了死亡的必然性，也告诉了我们需要悔改的迫切。他坚持基督徒必须终生不断地成长，改变，并且悔罪。祂直截了当地说，「我告诉你们，如果你们不悔改，你们都要同样丧亡」。套一句前校长 Jan Cooper 的话，她问，”耶稣的这一句话 ‘如果你不悔改’，到底哪一点你们听不懂？”

你们可以看出来，耶稣用无花果的比喻来告诉我们，我们依靠的是什么。早期的教父告诉我们，这个富有同情心，为无花果树求情的园丁正是耶稣。此时此刻，直到世界的终结，耶稣都在为我们求情。园丁说，「等一下！等我在它周围掘上土，加上粪；如果结果子，便算了；不然的话，你就把它砍掉。」耶稣为我们求情，让我们有时间反省，悔改，来修正我们的缺点。

天主是良善的而且富有耐心。就像在梅瑟的时代一样，天主不断地与我们互动，寻找那些想知道，因惊异而爱上天主的人。那些愿意采取相称的行动，被召唤成为天主的子女的人。

天主的圣名用了一个动词“存在”，祂正是“我是”的意思。无论你是被天主奥妙的圣名，或是他神奇的创造所吸引，天主吸引我们，就像祂吸引梅瑟一样。这个宇宙充满了具有各种不同的名称，像燃烧的灌木丛一样的奥迹。我们持续的领受了天主创造的给予，使我们进入一个与梅瑟一样的，不断地爱的生命。天主创造，并经由创造，来分享人类的欢乐、希望、悲伤，和焦虑。不仅我们，而且整个世界都会被天主不灭的爱火点燃。

今天，耶稣邀请我们成为天主的工具。通过我们，天主将祂的爱，和仁慈，倾注到世界上。想到这一点，并且鉴于目前在乌克兰发生的事情，愿我们张开双臂，热情接待在这需要的时候，可能会来寻求我们帮忙的乌克兰难民。在这件事上，波兰为我们提供了一个很好的，如何来接纳难民的例子。今天如果我们接受天主的邀请，我相信我们会接受，成为耶稣的爱，善良，和仁慈的工具，我们就必须像基督一样的，彼此接受，彼此相爱。