'Tis the Third Sunday of Lent (Lent meaning "Spring;" Quadragesima is the Latin name, meaning "fortieth"): Quadragesima-link & Wikipedia-link Quadragesima.
Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Third Sunday of Lent, Year C
The Book of Exodus, chapter three, verses one thru eight(a), thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen;
Psalm One Hundred Three (R/. eight[a]), verses one & two, three & four, six & seven, & eight & eleven;
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter ten, verses one thru six, ten, eleven, & twelve;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter thirteen, verses one thru nine.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today’s Gospel includes the parable of a fig tree that bears no fruit.Video reflection by Sister Kelly, F.M.A. (Array of Hope): Easter of Hope.
This is a standard trope in the theological literature of Israel: the tree that bears no fruit is evocative of the moral person who bears no spiritual fruit. Every single person has a mission: to be a conduit of the divine grace into the world. Planted in God—think of Jesus’ image of the vine and the branches—they are meant to bring forth the fruits of love, peace, compassion, justice, nonviolence.
And notice that this should be effortless. The closer God gets, the more alive we become. But the mystery of sin is that we resist the invasion of God; we prefer to go our own way; we cling to our own prerogatives and our own narrow freedom. And the result is lifelessness. It feels like depression, like your life is going nowhere—in Dante’s language, like being "lost in a dark wood."
In Jesus’ parable, the one caring for the tree begs the owner for one more chance to manure the tree and to hoe around it, hoping to bring it back to life. But if no life comes, the tree will be cut down. This is the note of urgency that is struck over and again in the Bible. We can run out of time. We can become so resistant to God’s grace that our leaves dry up. This is not divine vengeance; it is spiritual physics.
So don’t be afraid of God! Surrender to him.
Reflect: On "spiritual physics" and the consequences of ignoring God or turning away from him.
Mass Readings—Third Sunday of Lent, First Scrutiny
The Book of Exodus, chapter seventeen, verses three thru seven;
Psalm Ninety-five (R/. eight), verses one & two, six & seven, & eight & nine;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter five, verses one, two, & five thru eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter four, verses five thru forty-two
(or, the Gospel according to John, chapter four, verses five thru fifteen, nineteen[b] thru twenty-six, thirty-nine(a), forty, forty-one, & forty-two).
†
Otherwise, 24 March would be the commemoration of Saint Bernulf of Asti, Bishop & Martyr (fl. 800, A.K.A. of Mondovì), Bishop of Asti, martyred by Muslim raiders: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Asti.
'Twould also be the commemoration of Blessed John of the Staff, Priest, O.S.B. (circa 1200-1290; in Italian dal Bastone; A.K.A. of the Club, Giovanni Bonello Botegoni): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Twould also be the commemoration of Saint Catherine of Sweden, Abbess, O.Ss.S. (circa 1331-1381, A.K.A. of Vadstena): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Daughter of St. Bridget of Sweden [23 July].
'Twould also be the commemoration of Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cádiz, Priest, O.F.M. Cap. (1743-1801, A.K.A. José Francisco López-Caamaño y García Pérez): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
'Twould also be the commemoration of Saint Óscar Romero, Bishop & Martyr (1917-1980), fourth (IV) Archbishop of San Salvador (1977-1980), second (II) Bishop of Santiago de María (1974-1977), martyred by a death squad on the orders of Roberto D'Aubuisson: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link San Salvador & Wikipedia-link Santiago de María.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"The Spirit creates joy, & joy is effusive. This, too, is a testimony that you can & must offer to people of our time, so often made cold & unhappy by selfishness."Saint Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)
"The two thieves judged themselves. The one asked to be taken down, the other asked to be taken up. There was something material in the soul of the one on the right that responded to that intercessory prayer of our Lord, 'Father, forgive.' Then there came the conviction of sin.
"This thief on the right said to his brother thief on the other side, 'We are suffering justly for our sins. This man has done no wrong,' And then he asked only to be remembered: 'Remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Kingdom? In the whole gospel is there any faith comparable to that of this man? Here he looks upon what is seemingly a condemned criminal & so he spoke of him at the beginning—& he sees a crown of thorns as a royal diadem. The nail in His hand is a scepter. The blood is His royal purple. The crucifixion is His installation & coronation. And He asks to be remembered.
"The Lord replied, 'This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise.' On the day we die we go to Christ. 'This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise.' I always wonder why our Lord needed to say 'in paradise,' because to be with Him is paradise. The thief died a thief, for He stole paradise. And paradise can be stolen again."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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