Gospel for March 23 2025 – Luke 13:1-9
Gospel Reflections for March 23 2025
…Is it God’s will?
Is everything that ever happens God’s will? How about a hurricane, tornado, or car accident? Why do these things happen? These are all serious events where you might wonder how God is involved.
God does not want any of those events! Although maybe hard to see at first, they are all unfortunately the result of our own actions.
God never asked us to build airplanes or cars, or build homes where hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes have naturally occurred for centuries. He never wants violence on anyone either. Cars, planes, and the weather simply follow the natural laws of physics God made. God also gave us free will and if we choose to build houses in the wrong place or operate planes and cars badly or choose violence, tragic things will happen.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus recalls several recent news items. He heard that the cruel Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, had executed people, and that 18 people died in a tragic tower collapse. People assumed they all deserved it and that God had punished them.
Jesus affirms that God never sends punishments. These tragedies are never His will! This Gospel finally ends the superstitious idea that bad events are ever God’s plan. God only wills your happiness!
Jesus then references a fig tree that has bad fruit that a gardener wants to cut down.
It certainly does make sense to remove it, but Jesus asks for patience, and to give the tree more time to change. So is His amazing patience with you to change your life.
People certainly make bad choices, such as building in the wrong place, not maintaining airplanes or driving safely, or killing people as Pilate did. You would think that God would have every right to cut them all down too. This Gospel says different. God wants to offer the time to change.
Lent is precisely the time to take another look at yourself too and the choices you make.
Have you ever sped up to beat a red light? Don’t do that anymore! You can decide to drive safely. Can you prepare your home for an earthquake? Why not now? Can you eat healthier or exercise more? Why not now? There is much you can do now to change your own world by your decisions that you make today.
That is definitely God’s will!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
I have a hard time understanding that though I sin God will forgive me if I am repentant , confess my Sin and go to confession ,thus renturning to a good relationship with God.
His Unconditional Love is wonderful to seek and obtain.
God continues to love us even though we may Sin. I. Try to remember this. When others are
Caught in Sinful Circumstances that they too have this benefit if they pursue it..
This life is temporal while Eternal Life is a lot longer.
I will try this Lent to improve the items you mentioned and several more as well. Thanks Father Dave for your suggestions.
Yes, God’s forgiveness is so different from the way we often treat other, harboring grudges for example. God forgives easily because he wants us to get back on track quickly. Happy Lent!
Yes, that is exactly what Lent is for. Well done.
Dear Father Dave,
Thank you for today’s reflection.
I do believe that God’s love is all powerful. His generosity, as we see in the parable of patience and the dead tree, is a shining example of an understanding, caring father.
His forgiveness of human transgressions is nothing short of miraculous.
God bless!
Kathleen
Yes, indeed!
we can all be so grateful that God is patient!
Amazes Me as well Kathleen we are fortunate to be members of his Flock! Tom
Uhi
Absolutely!
Indeed!
God’s ways are not our ways!
Looking at the disfunction in the world today it looks like God doesn’t care
but we know that He is fully involved and He wants us to have patience
with Him and persevere through it all with His help.
God is amazingly patient!
Well said!
Let’s not forget the good He brings out of our sufferings. We may suffer tragedies such as a terminal illness that seems to be no fault of anyone but He brings good from our suffering we just need to look to look for them. I know He is pure love and does no harm to us ever. so grateful to have His love, me a wretched sinner.
Well said!
Yes, we must always ask, “What good can come from this?”
Our God is Pure Love!!! He loved us into being and created a miracle of love in us!!! The choices we make affect our total self!! We must make good choices for our the good of our souls and for others!!!Our precious Faith instills in us a love for others if we live our precious God and our precious Jesus’ loveeeeeeeeeeee!!Let’s grow in Love and change the world and touch others with our God’s and our Jesus’ love!!! Loveeeeee it!! One person at a time as you beautifully do Father Dave!! We are soooooooooooooooooooooooo blessed with our Miracle Faith of Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Thank you!