Lent and the Jubilee Year offers us time to turn back to God

Third Sunday of Lent (C)

Divine expectations of humanity and the urgency of meeting those expectations are the themes of our readings this Third Sunday of Lent. Almost half-way through our Lenten journey, these sacred texts assure us that God’s call in our lives is very real, and that whether or not we live up to that call has great consequences.

Our first reading this Sunday is taken from the Book of Exodus. After an initial two chapters detailing the sad plight of the Hebrews in the land of Egypt, the third chapter, from which our reading has been excerpted, begins the story of Israel’s deliverance. Moses, tending the sheep of his father-in-law, came to the foot of Mount Horeb (a.k.a., Sinai) where he saw a bush on fire, yet not consumed by the flames. As Moses approached the bush to investigate, he heard the voice of God calling out to him, “Moses, Moses … Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:4-5).

God further revealed himself to Moses, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). By doing so, God identified himself as the One who Moses’ people had known throughout their history; this was the God who had watched over his ancestors in the past and who continued to care for his people right up until that day. This God was about to renew his dramatic interventions on behalf of his people. He explained to Moses, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt … I know well that they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them …” (Exodus 3:7-8).

Moses was awestruck and fearful. He covered his face, for legend had it that it was death for a mortal to look upon the face of God. Moses’ trepidation only increased when God told him that he himself was to be the instrument through which God would save his people. Moses objected, wondering what good he could possibly do, doubting that the people would even listen to him. When God insisted, Moses then asked God’s name so that he would have some motive of credibility to carry back to his people. Then, in a supreme moment of the Old Testament, God revealed his name as “Yahweh” (Exodus 3:14).

The name “Yahweh” was God’s personal name. Used over 6,000 times in the Old Testament, Yahweh is represented by the four letters YHWH, commonly known as the sacred tetragrammaton. Like God himself, the name Yahweh is unspeakably holy. A pious Jewish person to this day will not pronounce this name, substituting the word “Adonai” (Lord) or in special cases “Elohim” (God).

Since 2008, the Catholic Church has also avoided mention of the sacred name during its liturgy. Scholars debate the exact meaning of the name, translating it variously as “I am who am,” “He who is,” or “He who causes to be all that there is.” The revelation of God’s name to Moses and his people is very significant. Knowing God’s name implied a special intimacy between God and these people. This intimacy, developed through the instrumentality of Moses and the events of the Exodus, would grow into the covenant, the sacred bond between the Lord and his people. Significantly, Moses’ faithfulness to God’s call allows the deliverance of his people to proceed.

While the first reading thus serves as an example of the importance of following God’s call, our Gospel reading this Sunday stresses both the urgency with which we must do so as well as the opportunity that is ours. St. Luke begins this account with Jesus telling the story of two then-recent disasters which resulted in the sudden deaths of a number of people.

Jesus seems to use these stories to make two points: First, the suddenness of the deaths of those who died shows that no one knows when their own death will occur – we must live, therefore, in a state of constant readiness. Second, challenging an ancient Palestinian belief that disasters befell only those who were out of favor with God, Jesus assures his listeners that the victims of such disasters were not necessarily the most wicked people in the land if they were morally wanting at all. The message, of course, is that we will all be called to give an account of our lives at a time we do not know; the only safe course, then, is to turn to God now!

Jesus then told the story of a fig tree which failed to bear fruit for three years. Looking at the barren tree, the master ordered it cut down. The vine dresser then appealed for the tree, asking that he be allowed to lavish special attention on it for another year, to see if that might induce it to bear fruit. Jesus’ message, of course, is that God exercises great patience with sinners. Those who fail to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God are given numerous opportunities to turn back to Christ; the spiritual graces available during this Jubilee Year are one example of God’s divine largesse in dealing with sinners. The Lenten season now underway is itself another such opportunity in our own lives – may we be grateful for it, and especially, may we make the most of it!

Msgr. John N. Fell serves as Episcopal Vicar for the Vicariate for Clergy.