GOD'S WORD IN DAILY LIFE
23 October/Saturday/29th Week in Ordinary Time,
Rom 8,1-11/Psa 24,1-2.3-4.5-6/Luke 13,1-9
By Most Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD
First Reading Romans 8:1-11
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you
The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.
The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23(24):1-6
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gospel Acclamation: Psa 144:13
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
'Leave the fig tree one more year'
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
Reflection
The opening words of the First Reading are very comforting and reassuring. There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ. Having listened to Paul speak about sin and death for a long time, we seem unprepared for this positive declaration. Paul makes this statement now because he is aware that one must be assured of acceptance with God before he can grow in grace and conformity to Christ. Paul could not continue speaking only about sin and death without pointing out that there is life in Christ. In the reading today, Paul makes it clear that God has dealt with sin by sending his only Begotten Son into the world. When we believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as our personal saviour, we share in his life.
The life that is given to us in Jesus Christ must be nourished in order to keep it alive. It is only through such nourishment that we can bear fruit and show that we are really rooted in Christ. The Gospel Reading points to the essence of bearing good fruit. If we are not able to bear fruit, it means we are useless or we are not making good use of the graces given to us in Jesus Christ. Fortunately, when we fail to bear fruit, God does not immediately dispose of us. He gives us a second chance.
In the Gospel Reading, the gardener pleaded with the owner of the vineyard to give him time to cater once more for the fig tree in the hope that it would bear fruit. When God gives us a second chance, he also provides us with the nourishment we need to grow and do better. His word is always there to guide us. It is up to us to open ourselves to his treasures and to drink deep from the source of life. Let us turn to the Lord and ask him to nourish us so that we can bear fruit in abundance.