March 14, 2004
3rd Sunday of Lent
(C) Luke 13: 1-9
Where are you going? How are you going to get there? Of the four
gospels, only Luke emphasizes that Jesus in his ministry had definite travel
plans. Jesus’ destination was Jerusalem. His itinerary began in Galilee and proceeded
rather directly to his destination--Jerusalem.
Remember how when you
were a child and how you felt when your parents said: “If you don’t pick up your toys, you will be sorry!” And from the anguished look on your mother’s
face, you knew there would be some dire consequences. For example, being evicted from one’s home and forced to live in
a pen with smelly pigs.
As Jesus proceeds on the road to Jerusalem
here in chapters 12:1 to 13: 9, Jesus exhorts and warns the “crowds” and we
members of St. Patrick’s community: “Should you act in such and such a manner,
you will be sorry!”
And so that no one will this lesson, Jesus
tells a sentimental parable that will be easy for all of us to remember. St. Luke only gives us the bare bones of the
parable. But when Jesus told this parable, he must have told it with many more
details and delightful descriptions.
And to the listeners it was like watching a gripping Disney cartoon.
According to Jesus, there was this fig tree. The fig tree lived in a tiny vineyard. There was just room for one tree. The tree
had a nice servant who loved him, took care of him and gave him a
nickname--Figgy. All day long Figgy
basked in the sun, breathed the clean air, drank clean fresh water and
nourished himself on fresh cow manure.
But Figgy wasn’t quite satisfied. He dreamed of being transplanted to a nearby
vineyard. And there he would begin
producing big, juicy and delicious figs.
Now fig trees are expected to produce some
fruit during their third year. But not
Figgy. After three years he didn’t
produce one fig. He was just too busy
feeling sorry for himself and daydreaming about being transplanted.
Then one day the owner was hungry and came to
the little vineyard to pick some figs.
But Figgy didn’t have even one fig.
So the owner said to his servant: “This tree is just occupying
space. Cut it down and plant
another.” Well the servant was
heartbroken and he wiped the tear that fell from his eye with his dirty sleeve.
Even though Figgy was lazy and always complaining, the servant had really grown
to love Figgy and he said: “Please, boss, leave it one more year and in my
spare time I will dig round it and manure it. And next year Figgy will produce
juicy figs the size of watermelons.”
[Here the homilist should gulp with emotion.] So the owner says: “And if it doesn’t bear fruit, then what?”
The servant said sadly: “If not, you
can cut it down.” (“You”: the servant loved Figgy so much that he
could never do the chopping himself.)
So Figgy said: “I guess I have to start
producing some figs within the next twelve months right here on the ground I am
now occupying? Or else…”
I guess I don’t
have to explain this parable. I see
some of your hair standing up in utter horror. [My hair isn’t standing up in
utter horror for obvious reasons.]
FINALE
I
would suggest that you choose one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that you are
going to work on this week: “love, joy, peace patient endurance, kindness,
generosity, faith, mildness and chastity.” When you have chosen one of these
fruits, please stand up and recite the Creed.
GRAND FINALE [End of Mass]
Raise your right hand, if you feel that you
are just “occupying space” and expect to be “cut down.”
March
14, 2004 3rd Sunday of
Lent (C) Luke 13: 1-9
THEME: The Christian and the Christian community
produce fruit in his/he/its vineyard in preparation for the day of reckoning.
The
circumstances of our life ordinarily determine the place in which we produce
and share the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
TEXT:
“Sir, leave it another year, while I hoe around it and manure it; then perhaps
it
will
bear fruit. If not, it shall be cut
down.”
“…the
fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace patient endurance, kindness,
generosity, faith, mildness and chastity.” (Gal
5:22-23)
CATECHISM OF
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
“The
fruits of the Spirit are perfections
that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of
them: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, generosity,
gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.’” (Gal 5:22-23) Catechism of the Catholic
Church, (Mission Hills: Benziger Publishing Co, 1994), #1832, p. 451.
March
14, 2004 3rd Sunday of
Lent (C) Luke 13: 1-9
1. Luke’s
gospel 12:1 – 13: 1-9 deals with ex__________ns and w_______ings.
2. How
many years were required before a good fig tree produced fruit? ___ years.
3. Which
three fruits of the Holy Spirit would you personally like to produce this week?
a.
______________ b. ______________ c. ____________.
4. In
what vineyard (geographic location) will you produce these fruits? ____________
5. (Optional) Could you produce more fruit in another location? Why? Why not?
(Hint: examples, experiences, exhortations,
warnings, ten, three, two )