Cut It Down
Third Sunday of Lent (C)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Luke 13:1-9 – Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Jesus is very patient. Jesus is very merciful. Jesus is also very serious. The fact that Jesus goes around preaching a message of repentance shows that He doesn’t want to punish us for our sins and mistakes. He desires to offer us the opportunity to turn away from our sins and to enter a new life. But God will not force this upon us. We must choose it.
To repent means to turn. It is necessary that we repent, that we turn from evil to good, from sin to God. We all commit sins; we choose to do wrong. We cannot be turned toward God when we are turned toward these sins. Are there any serious sins that we need to turn from by going to Confession? Are all of us attending Confession regularly? And are there smaller sins that we repeatedly fall into? Are we making efforts to fight against them? What is a sin each of us needs to face…and then turn from?
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above.(Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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