Saturday 29th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke 13:1-9

Repentance and Mercy

Sycamore Tree, Jericho

Jack, the painter, often would thin his paint so it would go further. So when the Church decided to do some deferred maintenance, Jock was able to put in the low bid, and got the job. As always, he thinned his paint way down with turpentine.

One day while he was up on the scaffolding -- the job almost finished -- he heard a horrendous clap of thunder, and the sky opened.

The downpour washed the thinned paint off the church and knocked Jock off his scaffold and onto the lawn among the gravestones and puddles of thinned and worthless paint.

Jock knew this was a warning from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried: “Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?”

And from the thunder, a mighty voice: “REPAINT! REPAINT! AND THIN NO MORE!

Sorry about that - my sense of humor!  But there is a point!

Remember having to admit to your best friend that you lied to them and then saying you were sorry?  Or maybe it was when you stole that $20 bill from your dad’s wallet.  Having to face him and ask for forgiveness was the worst!

Repentance is downright difficult!  No one is comfortable admitting that they are at fault, that they have stumbled and sinned.  Repentance requires honesty and humility especially if we are admitting it to someone else.  Too often, as in today’s Gospel, we prefer to focus on the faults of others and not our own.  And it takes us back to when we were kids – it’s not my fault, it’s his!  Shifting the blame and pointing the finger at someone else! In the end, what we are doing is essentially trying to point the finger away from ourselves.

Repentance demands that we examine ourselves critically, accept that we are fallible and that change in our lives is necessary.  It reminds us that, without seeking forgiveness, we remain stuck in our spiritual life, unable to move forward, to grow and to welcome the Spirit back into our lives.

In today’s Gospel Jesus challenges us to go way beyond a simple handshake and a couple of words that carried no real repentance.  Jesus is calling for real, heartfelt, soul-shaking change!  Not just in our words or actions but change down to our very soul. The Greek word is “metanoia”.  And it speaks of a life-altering, soul-searching turning away from anger and resentment to an attitude of forgiveness and repentance. 

Yes repentance is difficult but God reminds us that His forgiveness, His mercy, is endless if we only have the courage and the honesty to face our faults, recognize our sinfulness and ask for His forgiveness.  Repent and sin no more!

May our prayers of repentance be sincere and our thanksgiving self-less!  May these remaining weeks of Lent be an opportunity to continue to humbly acknowledge our blessings from the Creator, identify our faults, and pray for His grace and mercy.

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