3rd Sunday of Lent

During Lent, Christians are asked to take stock of their faith lives and, with a critical eye, reflect on where those lives need to improve. Lent is the time to look at our behavior to see where we can grow in virtue for more successful living. With that in mind, I have been using the theme of Attitude Adjustment for my Lenten homilies. I've been asking what part of your way of living you need to adjust, so you have a better outlook on life.

During these last few weeks, and as we advance in Lent, I suggest concentrating particularly on one virtue. This virtue is vital for the Christian life because we build many other virtues upon it. A virtue is a habit with a high standard we use to guide our lives, and it helps form our personality and our actions. That virtue is humility. Humility is a virtue we must always focus on strengthening because it is often fleeting. Just when we believe we have humility, we obviously need even more. 

Humility is often misunderstood; it can be seen as weakness, low self-esteem, or the effort to denigrate our genuine accomplishments. That kind of attitude isn't humility. That is insecurity, and it isn't a virtue at all. It is an attitude we need to ask for God's grace to help overcome.

Humility isn't a low opinion of ourselves. Instead, it is a clear opinion of ourselves and a feeling of groundedness. Humility is surprisingly powerful because it helps us grow and have a clearer conception of our world. With humility, we develop patience, enabling us to expand our relationships. 

A couple of weeks ago, I began this series by telling you how humility begins when we recognize God is the provider of all your gifts. None of us had any choice in so many important phases of our lives. We didn't choose our parents, our looks, or our IQ. Everything we hold important in our lives comes as a gift from God, and the sooner we recognize that, the more fulfilling our lives.

Last week I told you how important taking the time to listen is in developing humility. When we listen to others, we admit we don't have all the answers. We are open to a clearer understanding, and listening opens us to the wisdom others offer us. Listening to God in our prayer is most important for growing in humility. God is the source of all understanding, and God wants us to acquire it from our communication with God. 

Today I'd like to examine a barrier to humility. It is the obstacle of complacency, and it was a significant problem for the early Church. So in Luke's gospel, Jesus addresses the issue of complacency. Luke's is the gospel with some of the most memorable stories of all the Gospels. The parable of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son's story are some people's favorite scripture passages.

Today's Gospel isn't quite so popular, but it still has an important message. In it, Jesus is on His way from Galilee to Jerusalem to face His Passion, and as He is traveling, He is teaching. Some people come up to Him to ask questions. They report the news that Galileans had suffered a terrible slaughter when they went to offer sacrifice at the Temple. Galilee was a hotbed of opposition to the Roman occupation. Although there is no historical proof for the incident, as despots are known to do, even as we witness today, Pilate sought to terrorize innocent people to prevent rebellion. He sent disguised soldiers into the crowd who murdered innocent worshipers.

In Jesus' day, most people believed if you suffered a tragedy in your life, it was because you had sinned. Bad things only happen to bad people they felt, and God was out to punish sinners. The crowds asked Jesus to explain how this could have happened. 

He knows many in the group of listeners hold the misconception God was punishing the Galileans for their sins. Jesus wants to warn His listeners against becoming complacent. Jesus points out another sad incident of a tower collapsing while under construction at the Pool of Siloam, killing workmen and innocent passers-by. 

Jesus said,

"Do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?

By no means! But if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

Jesus warns His listeners that such tragedies can happen to innocent people at any time, so they must always be ready to repent and be in right relationships with God. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians with the same concern in today's second reading. The last sentence of that reading was:

"Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall."

A sense of complacency was a severe problem in the Church at Corinth. Many in that community were correct to understand baptism had cleansed them from their past sins, but they also felt immune to sin because they had accepted baptism and the Holy Spirit. They were overconfident in their belief in God's Mercy. Paul heard stories of some members of the Church engaging in very sinful behaviors because they had become complacent towards sin. Paul was stunned by these reports, so he had to write to the Corinthians to warn them about this misunderstanding. He had to warn them against becoming complacent to sin. 

We aren't immune from such self-righteous beliefs today. We often fall into the same trap. We see suffering and loss and feel the victims are responsible for their pain. We can tend to blame the poor for their neediness, the addicted for their substance abuse, and illness we attribute to the sufferer's lousy lifestyle choices.

We also tend to minimize our sinfulness. We claim we only commit venial or minor sins, so we don't need to ask for God's forgiveness. We become complacent to our faults and failures, and we allow the bulk of our sinfulness to grow and grow until it damages our relationship with God and others. We allow our sinfulness to become as oppressive as if it were mortal sin.

Jesus doesn't want that to happen to us. The parable He told in the second part of today's gospel shows us that God is ready to help us overcome our complacency. Jesus told the crowd that even though they were like the fig tree that failed to bear fruit, a compassionate and loving God is ready to give us a second chance. A merciful God is willing to take time to loosen the soil around our roots, provide us with water, and fertilize our surroundings in the hope we will yet bear fruit and be productive disciples. God wants to offer us the opportunity to overcome complacency, become aware of our need for reconciliation, and seek forgiveness of our sins. 

Lent is the season to face our complacency and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Reconciliation is the sacrament when we let God's patience with us bear fruit. When we show the gardener's care and faithfulness have bourn fruit. This Lent, overcome your complacency and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Shake off your complacency, confess your sins, and set your soul right with God.

I'm in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church every Saturday afternoon from 3:00-3:45 pm.

Don't be afraid if it has been a while since your last confession. If you feel insecure about celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there is no need to be. We have several pamphlets on the table at the back of the church to help you. They can aid you through the process of examining your conscience in preparation for the sacrament and how to celebrate it. Please take one for yourself or someone considering coming to confession. 

I'm committing myself to be available for the sacrament quite a bit over Lent. It is your responsibility to commit to overcome the barrier of complacency now, confess your sinfulness and become a fruitful disciple of Jesus Christ.