HOMILY: Third Sunday of Lent (C)
Luke 13:1-9
23 March 2025
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
“Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.” (“As long as we are alive, there is hope.”) Do we believe this? I guess, we should! A wise Jesuit said death only makes permanent the state of our soul at our last breath. So, if we die with a heart full of hate, vindictiveness, greed and envy, we no longer have a chance to do better, correct our mistakes, make peace, and contribute good in the world. The dead cannot expect positive outcomes with respect to one’s own life or the world, precisely because they are no longer in the world. The worst part is, we never really know when we are going to die, until death comes knocking at our door.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us about the urgency of turning our lives around, using two tragic events as examples: the murder of some Galileans by Pilate and the collapse of a tower in Siloam that killed eighteen (18) people. At the time, many believed that if something bad happened to someone, it was because they deserved it — like a punishment for sin. Jesus challenges that mindset. He tells them that the tragedy is the failure to repent of one’s sins. “If you don’t repent, you will all perish as they did.” (Luke 13:3)
There are three things we can learn from our readings today. First, death is not necessarily a punishment. Both good and bad people die. Both good and bad people are susceptible to tragedies and misfortunes. Second, the urgency for repentance comes as a consequence of the suddenness at which death may come to claim a soul. Quite a number of young people these days die suddenly of aneurysms and heart attacks. It is unthinkable but it happens. In the same way, some old people live until their nineties (90’s) or past one hundred (100) even if they keep praying for God to take them. No one knows when our time on earth is up. Third, we must use the chances we get in life to live as people of God. Like the fig tree that was given a chance to bear fruit before it was to be cut down, we are expected before we die, to bear the fruit of Christianity — LOVE!
The example of the fig tree that has not borne fruit is appropriate for all of us. The gardener cultivates the soil and fertilises it that it may have the best chance to bear fruit. God is like a gardener that gives all of us all the chances, graces and blessings that we may become true witnesses of Jesus’ love and mercy and ambassadors of His Kingdom. Our entire life is the chance we are given because the call to repentance is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process, something we work on every day. Conversion is not a one-off event but a daily transformation. Every day, we have opportunities to grow closer to God and orient our hearts toward the Lord. Even the difficult things we face in life — like accidents, sickness, tragedies, etc. are opportunities for us to turn to God in repentance and to grow in love.
Whether we are aware of it or not, we constantly encounter God in our lives through both serene and difficult moments. God is always with us, blessing us. The only way we do not lose sight of His presence is by staying connected to Him. Thus, let us pray often and receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist frequently to allow God to nurture our hearts. Let us always bear the fruit of love in our lives and show the world the transformative power of true repentance.
Sunday Gospel Reflections 