{"id":2830,"date":"2019-03-24T13:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-03-24T17:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2830"},"modified":"2019-03-24T13:10:39","modified_gmt":"2019-03-24T17:10:39","slug":"3rd-sunday-of-lent-year-c-homily-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/3rd-sunday-of-lent-year-c-homily-2\/","title":{"rendered":"3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

3<\/a>rd<\/a><\/sup> Sunday of Lent, Year C<\/a>
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11 (8a)
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Luke 13:1-9
March 24, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffering is real.  Some say, \u201ceverything happens for a\nreason.\u201d  Why does suffering happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jesus\u2019 time a common understanding of\nsuffering was that it was punishment for sin. \nTherefore, if you were suffering, it meant you must have sinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when some people hear how Pilate had\nsome Galileans killed and mingled their blood with the Roman sacrifices, the\npeople interpreted it as punishment for some sin.  Jesus tells them \u201cBy no means<\/em>\u201d is this true.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus says the same is true for the \u201ceighteen people who were killed when the\ntower at Siloam fell on them.<\/em>\u201d  They\nwere no \u201cmore guilty than everyone else\nwho lived in Jerusalem.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffering does happen.  In the Old Testament, the entire book of Job\nis centered on the question of suffering. \nJob is good and wealthy man until he loses everything.  His friends take his losses as proof that he\nmust have sinned to be punished so severely. \nHe maintains his innocence.  He\nalso holds fast to his faith in God.  As\ntime goes on he begins to wonder about his suffering.  He questions God.  God\u2019s response is that Job, as a human, can\u2019t\nunderstand it all.  Job comes to realize\nthat he may not understand but that he can still trust in God.  (Incidentally, Job\u2019s suffering is caused by\nSatan trying to get him to reject his faith.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is Jesus trying to tell the\npeople about these two cases of suffering? \nWhile those people were no worse sinners than others, it is a call for\nus to realize that our time might be short and we need to repent of any sins we\nhave committed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story of the Exodus gives us a\ndifferent perspective on God\u2019s activity in suffering.  The Jews were slaves in Egypt.  They suffered at the hands of the\nEgyptians.  God \u201cwitnessed their affliction<\/em>\u201d and \u201cheard their cry<\/em>.\u201d  So, God\ncame \u201cdown to rescue them<\/em>\u201d to lead\nthem to \u201ca land flowing with milk and\nhoney.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God led them through the waters of the Red\nSea as we are led through the waters of baptism.  God fed them with manna as we are fed with\nthe Eucharist.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did they suffer?  Yes. \nWas there value in the suffering? \nAs Paul writes, \u201cThese things\nhappened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to\nus.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God gives us many, many chances to stop sinning\nbut there will come a day when there are no more chances.  It might be the day of the Second Coming or\nit might be the day of our own death as it was for the Galileans killed by\nPilate or those at Siloam on whom the tower fell.  Their deaths were not because of their sins\nbut it left them with no more time to repent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sin is a powerful foe.  The devil is a great deceiver.  We become slaves to our sins.  We need to repent with contrite hearts.  We need to ask God to set us free from our\nafflictions.  Remember how God \u201cwitnessed the affliction<\/em>\u201d of his people\nin Egypt and \u201cheard their cry<\/em>?\u201d  Remember how He came down to rescue them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we cry out to the Lord with a\ncontrite heart for our sins, He comes down to rescue us.  He does this in Jesus who gave up his place\nwith God to come down to die for our sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What afflictions do you face?  What suffering do you face?  What sins do you need to be forgiven for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not fear for \u201cthe Lord is kind and merciful\u2026He pardons all your iniquities\u2026He redeems\nyour life from destruction<\/em>.\u201d  You\njust have to ask for forgiveness, confessing your sins in the Sacrament of\nReconciliation.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year CExodus 3:1-8a, 13-15Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11 (8a)1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12Luke 13:1-9March 24, 2019 Suffering is real.  Some say, \u201ceverything happens for a reason.\u201d  Why does suffering happen? In Jesus\u2019 time a common understanding of suffering was that it was punishment for sin.  Therefore, if you were suffering, it …<\/p>\n

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