23.03.2025
Sunday of the Third Week of Lent C

It is interesting how so many tragic things happen to people, even these days, and then, they are equated to the possible evil lifestyles these people might have lived. I cannot deny, that sometimes I think like this. However, I always recall the illustrative life of Job (Job 1:13-20), of Tobit and Sarah the daughter of Raguel (Tobit 3:1-15) and that of Susanna (Daniel 13:42, 43): both suffered extreme challenges which, today, anyone can interpret as punishment from God for any bad things that they might have done. Interestingly, again, the scripture is careful to elaborate that these were people who lived pure and had no fault. I can, therefore, imagine the torment they were feeling while they considered or heard what others thought or said about them during these hardships.

Today's Gospel presents a similar undertone of people's perception about those whose blood was mingled with their sacrifices (whatever that means). They stood apart and judged like spectators. The technical idea, here, is that “those Galileans were bad people”, that is why they suffered thus.

In light of all this, it is challenging to understand what the proceeding parable about “bearing fruit” means, since it may simply seem to refer to practical evangelisation and the winning of souls. However, within it, there is an underlying call to repentance: conversion of heart and ways of thinking. Man must be charitable and need not spend time speculating and judging situations or others, but rather, loving the neighbour, so that the spirit and love of God reigns. Negative talk breeds negative energy, which allows the enemy to thrive, placing guilt and burdens in hearts, thus, creating presumptuous lifestyles even among the so-called faithful.

God bless you!