March 16, 2022 at 2:33 p.m.
Respond to God’s call with open hearts and hands
Respond to God’s call with open hearts and hands
Our readings Sunday call us deeper into this profound relationship. In the First Reading, Moses experiences an awesome in-breaking of God that echoes through the ages into our own lives. At first, Moses shows the quintessential human trait — curiosity: “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight.” What began with surprise at seeing the bush burning but not being consumed, ended in awe at the presence of the living God.
Moses approached this wonder and was cautioned to remove his sandals, to be mindful that he was on holy ground! The Holy One then reminds Moses of the relationships with the patriarchs. Moses got the point — how could he be this close to the Majesty and live?! But God takes Moses from his ordinary job and place in the desert to this extraordinary sight. God has “seen” some things too; the Holy One has been paying attention to the plight of the Israelites as they struggle with the grinding conditions of slavery. God has big plans for these people and Moses will deliver these plans. Moses feels overwhelmed and asks a simple question that is brimming with meaning — after all this time in Egypt, the people will want to know — who is this God? The God of former days, lost in the mists of time? No, God says, “I am YHWH, I AM the One who is; I Am the one who causes everything to BE.” This is a lightning-strike moment! For God to reveal the sacred name is to begin a new relationship with the people. This revelation is startling; it introduces a level of intimacy that is deeper even than the one with the patriarchs and matriarchs.
We are invited into this intimacy: “thus am I to be remembered through all generations,” God proclaims. We are those generations! God meets us in the ordinary places of our lives; The Holy One asks us to look again at situations with new eyes and to see something there that we might have missed. These encounters call us to live more intensely in the present moment and to respond to God’s call with an open heart and open hands. Can we see the plight of those in need? Can we hear the “cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor?” God strengthens us for these challenges with an enduring presence, just as God promised Moses.
This theme of relationship flows into the Gospel. The tragic stories being shared are “ripped from the headlines” by folks following Jesus. In describing the tragedies, they seem eager perhaps to egg him on to criticize Pilate or to say, “Yes, they were sinners and were punished,” which was the common thinking in those days (and even in our times!). But Jesus upends the reports with a call for repentance. The focus is my needing a change of heart, not judging my neighbor. Paul reminds us of this lesson when he says, “… whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall!”
Is the parable which follows a reminder that we must tend relationships with care and mercy? The landowner judges the fig tree to be worthless. But the gardener sees potential — giving the tree extra attention could create new life. How do we respond to others? Does criticism wither our interactions or do we see with a loving gaze, as God sees us? Can we take time to cultivate goodness and kindness? Can we offer space for others to mature and grow?
The psalm declares, “The Lord is kind and merciful.” As we walk our Lenten path, we are invited to deepen our relationships with that mercy!
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