Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 20, 2022
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
In ancient times, people considered tragedy as God’s way of punishing wickedness, but our Lord is merciful and patient. God is not vengeful when we disobey. We are given time. Our sinfulness separates us from God and often leads us to bear no fruit. Sometimes we need to “cultivate our ground” with thoughtful prayer, reflection, and time in silence with God.
One way our Lord has provided us with to “fertilize” the garden of our hearts is the beautiful sacrament of confession. A chance for us to renew our relationship with the Lord and receive his mercy, confession strengthens us against the evil we encounter in our daily lives.
Not being the best gardener myself, I can relate to the gardener asking for more time to allow the fig tree to bear good fruit. I also know that I have been that fig tree many times during my life. Broken, separated from God and goodness. God always welcomes me back like the prodigal son showing compassion, understanding, and love.
In this Lenten season, let us turn to our merciful God and renew our relationship. God is always waiting for us, ready to respond. Our response to this loving invitation is what we need to act on, not only during Lent, but throughout the journey of life.
Prayer
Our sinful actions, words and omissions make us like barren trees. They deserve harsh consequences. And yet, you, Jesus, offer us hope and healing, a hand of reconciliation and restored relationship. Your love for us must be incredibly great because you never tire of forgiving us.
Help us to appreciate that forgiveness, not taking it for granted, but not shying away from it either. Thank you for your patience with our weakness and your healing forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Martin of Braga was a bishop and evangelizer who spread the faith in the Iberian peninsula in the 500s. He was born in central Europe and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land before joining other pilgrims who were returning to an area in the northern part of present-day Portugal, where he settled.
He was a highly-regarded scholar—said by contemporaries to be the smartest man of his age—and preached against the Arian heresy, which was gaining ground in the region. His preaching attracted many who had wandered from the faith, including the king. He also built several monasteries.
Because of his connections to the king, he stayed in the royal court for a time, but he continued to live like a monk. He oversaw his monasteries with strict discipline and was promoted to oversee the Church in the region from the city of Braga, a role he kept until his death in 580. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Martin of Braga, you evangelized Spain and Portugal—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Martin of Braga is in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
