HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C

Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; Psalm 103:1-4.6-8.11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6. 10-12; Luke 13:1-9

"THE I AM THAT I AM: THE GOD OF MERCY, THE GOD OF SECOND CHANCE!"

                                            By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide

·      There are several reasons why we must seek out the mercy of God during this season of Lent and beyond. This is because it is in God's mercy that we find our ultimate peace and tranquillity. To obtain this mercy of God, we must be ready to show mercy for “if you O Lord should mark our guilt, Lord who would survive? For with you is found forgiveness” (Ps. 130:3).

·      In this Lenten season, we must be ready to show mercy even to those who are most undeserving of it, because God continues to show us mercy despite our unworthiness and unfaithfulness. Hence, we must think outside the box, go beyond our comfort zones, and forgive those we would ordinarily never have anything to do with.

·      God is the initiator of the movement towards reconciliation as exemplified in the call of Moses through a burning bush to liberate the Israelites in the first reading. He used the burning bush to attract Moses. The burning bush was used to attract the attention of Moses, but his mission goes beyond the attraction of a burning bush. His mission was a mission of mercy, a mission of liberation. Sin puts us in a precarious state, sin puts us in a sorry state, it puts us in bondage, it makes us helpless and in need of divine assistance. Today the Lord has seen our misery and wants to liberate us with his bountiful mercy (Ex. 3:1-8).

·      God uses different occasions and scenarios in life to attract us to his divine mission. The story of the burning bush is a story of God’s fiery love for us, a burning desire for us to be saved not to be condemned. Just as the bush was not consumed so also the fire of his love does not condemn us; but purifies and fortifies us for action. 

·      Today your scenario may not be a burning bush just like Moses’, it may be just listening to God’s word, conversation with friends, a post on social media, a deep meditation. All these are enough to turn our lives around and redirect them to where God wants us to be. He wants us to be in his love, he wants us to be in his mercy, he wants us to know that having enjoyed his mercy and love, we too can become missionaries of mercy just like Moses.

·      The Galileans and the eighteen in the gospel, who perished; were not the worst sinners they were only unfortunate. We who are alive now, “must think of the Lord’s patience as our opportunity to be saved” (1 Pet. 3:15). And the season of Lent offers us that second chance we need, it is our grace moment where we are expected to be fruitful bearing fruits of kindness, compassion, love, holiness, mutual support, forgiveness, liberating the weak and oppressed, etc.

·      The Lord who is calling you is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is calling you to “come let us settle the matter” (Isaiah 1:18). He wants to give you a second chance. Some of us feel that we may have committed an unforgivable sin. We find it difficult to approach God for mercy and we also find it difficult to forgive others. Now is the appointed time, now is the hour of grace. The Lord, like the vinedresser gives us another opportunity to be saved. We have been watered and manured by God’s word; we must now bear fruits. Fruits of mercy and compassion, by first forgiving others so that God can in turn forgive us.

·      The Responsorial Psalm gives us some assurance that the Lord is compassionate and gracious (Ps. 103:8). And he loves us so much; despite our waywardness (Jn. 3:16). What then is preventing us from embracing his mercy and taking advantage of the second chance given to us? The "I am who I am" the God of second chance calls us to conversion. He calls us to repentance, he calls us to a life of grace, he calls us to be missionaries of the mercy of God. It is Lent, therefore think of the Lord's patience as your opportunity to be saved!

·      May God give us the grace to see the opportunity for mercy, repentance, and reconciliation in the second chance we have been given, and to make good use of it now and always, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!