READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C, SUNDAY 20TH MARCH, 2022

First Reading: Exodus 3:1-18, 13-15

Psalm: 102

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM

A CALL TO REPENTANCE

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Life sometimes can be uncertain. We all experience trials and adversity. The recent Russian –Ukraine crisis and other difficulties in our lives remind us of the uncertainty of our existence. The salvation of our souls remind us of a call to repentance. We need to live lives in a spirit of repentance.

Repentance is an interesting topic. Jeremiah Unterman, a Biblical scholar and a well-known writer on the “value of the Biblical ethical tradition for the modern world” has a very good understanding of the meaning of repentance. In his view repentance “is reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better.”

We need a sacred time and space to reflect on repentance. Lent offers us the opportunity to pray for the courage to repent and renew our trust in Jesus Christ. Lent helps us to walk towards changing our lives to live in peace with ourselves, with one another and with our Lord eternally.

We read in the Gospel of Luke how “some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices.” Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.” (Luke13:1-9)

I noticed in Jesus’ response that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God sees things differently. God’s views are different from our views. God does not take pleasure in the death of anyone. God delights in our repentance. God wants us to repent and live. The biggest truth for us sinners is that God wants to pay no attention to our failures, but invites us to respond joyfully to His out bursting love.

From the view of Jesus, any sinner who repents receives forgiveness from God. You can see from this perspective that repentance is important in our world today. Jesus repeatedly preached about repentance. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is close at hand” (Matthew 4:17)

The season of Lent offers us the opportunity to turn our backs to sin and have a complete change of life, perception and attitude and give our lives completely over to Jesus Christ. This change of life also involves a sincere sorrow and the resolve to live a more responsible life. It involves a genuine commitment to personal change. Lent is the appropriate time to do this.

Let us be cleansed by asking for God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are invited to open our hearts to allow Jesus to overturn the tables of our self-centeredness, anger, rudeness, pride and profit mindedness.

During this Lent, let us change our attitudes. This will enable us to share in the peace, love and mercy of Jesus Christ on Easter Day.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM