Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year C

Do Yourself  A Favor!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Who is to be blamed when something bad happens? When natural disasters like earthquake, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruptions etc happen and kill people and destroy wealth, whose fault is it? Who is to be blamed for the bad things that sometimes happen to us? What is responsible for the numerous diseases that affect and devastate human lives? Few months ago, it was Ebola; now, it is Zika virus. Why do some people get lucky, while others don’t? Why do misfortune frequently happen to some, while others swim in the ocean of fortune and comfort? For people of Jesus’ days, all misfortune, suffering, hardship, every affliction of disease is a consequence of sin. As far as they were concerned, material poverty is as a result of spiritual poverty. All suffering is God’s punishment on a sinful person or persons. But today, we consider such a belief not only ridiculous but also wrong. But while it is false to assume that all human suffering results from sin, it would be just as false to assume that sin does not result in suffering or misfortune. You know, even when forgiveness has been obtained, sin leaves a mark on us. 

In today’s Gospel taken from Luke 13:1-9, Jesus asserts two undeniable truths: those who suffer have not necessarily sinned; but those who remain in sin and thrive in it will eventually reap the fruit they have sown. Yes, the Galileans that Pilate mingled their blood with the blood of sacrifice were not greater sinners than all other Galileans; but that does not mean that those who perpetuate in doing evil will go unpunished. Yes, the eighteen people that were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them were not more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem; but those who continue to harm others will perish in like manner. Do you think that those who died in plane crash, on road accidents, during natural disasters, and terrorist attacks were worst sinners than those of us still living today? Jesus said, “By no means!” But guess what, if we do not repent and turn away from our evil ways, Jesus said, “we will all perish as they did!” Not because God is a destroyer. Not because God is the one that brings or causes peril. But because the refusal to repent, which is the refusal to be loved by God, is enough punishment that unrepentant persons bring upon themselves. God does not punish, but wrongdoing does. Refusal to be loved by God brings extreme punishment.  

Christianity is not just a bunch of creeds that have no direct impact in our daily life and in the way we treat and relate with each other. It is not simply a profession of faith without a demonstration of faith. It is not a religion of sterility. A sterile Christian is a lifeless Christian. Christianity is a faith-based and fruit-based institution. Those who are called by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to bear good fruits. An authentic Christian is like a fig tree that bears fruit in season and out of season, not like the one described in today’s Gospel. A fruitful Christian brings glory to God. A sterile Christian mocks God and exposes the Christian faith to mockery and ridicule. One of the fruits expected of a Christian is ongoing repentance and conversion. Repentance is a frequent theme of Lent. Simply put, it means turning the page of the past which is filled with hurt, anger, hatred, immorality, racism, discrimination, hostility, unforgiveness, murder, religious indifference, etc. Repentance entails making a decision with the grace of God to return home to God. It means exiting from walking in the shadow of death and entering into the life of God and the light of Christ. To repent is to seek for healing. Sin hurts! Sin wounds! Sin makes us sick! To repent is to start doing some good to ourselves, to start showing some love to ourselves. To repent is to allow God to work on us, that is to “cultivate the ground around us and fertilize us” so that we can bear good fruits. To repent is to run away from being cut down. In the parable that Jesus told in today’s gospel, the owner of the orchard had ordered the gardener to cut down a particular fig tree that had not produced any fruit for three years. An unrepentant sinner is like that fig tree. If we don’t bear fruits of love, purity, kindness, hospitality, friendship, holiness, forgiveness, generosity, prayer, perseverance, etc, we may be facing the Gardener’s Knife. Jesus’ call to repentance is a call to do ourselves a favor, do ourselves some good, show ourselves some love, and give ourselves some peace and joy. It’s a call to end the self-infliction.

Brothers and sisters, the season of Lent is the season of returning to God. Our Savior Jesus Christ has urged us in today’s Gospel to embark on this homeward journey today. There may not be much time. If we want to be right with God, today is the day and now is the hour to take the first step. The priest that preached during the 11:30 AM Mass last Sunday made a good point when he said over and over again that we are good people. It’s true! Everyone sitting in this church is good, but are we good enough for God? Are we good enough to inherit the Kingdom? Are we so good that there is no area of our life that needs repentance, nothing to improve, and nothing to deepen, and nothing to do more? Repentance is not only about giving up what is wrong; it is also about deepening the good we are already doing. It is about doing more— being more kind, more generous, more loving, more forgiving, more patient, more tolerance, praying more, helping more. I have severally encountered penitents who said to me, “Father, I do help my neighbor, but I just realized that I can be more helpful.” That’s repentance too. Some say, “I give money to the church, but I just found out that I could’ve been more generous.” That’s repentance as well. Whenever you say to yourself: I can pray more; I can be more patient with my spouse and children; I can devote more time to my family; I can spend more time helping others; I can be more tolerant and welcoming. Repentance is taking place in your life. 

Beloved in Christ, twice in today’s Gospel Jesus warns, “if you do not repent…” Refusal to repent is refusal to be restored to one’s prime place as a son or daughter of God. Refusal to repent has consequences. God never tires of forgiving us, we should never be tired of asking for forgiveness. Refusal to ask for forgiveness is refusal to be forgiven. Do yourself some good. Give yourself some love. Do yourself a favor by repenting and returning to God.