A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in their heart; a bad person brings bad out of their treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Matthew 12:35).
Introduction
We have a saying: Why do bad things happen to good people? It is as if we expect bad things, tragic events and disasters to be the result of sin. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of seeing evil as God’s punishment meted out to those who sin. In today’s Gospel, Jesus criticises such attitudes and calls on us to seek conversion because we all sin. Our meeting today will challenge us to reflect on the presence of sin and sinfulness in the action(s) we have been carrying out as part of our Lenten observance.
Acknowledgement of Country
I’d like to begin by acknowledging the _________ people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered. To acknowledge our gratitude that we share this land today, our sorrow for the costs of that sharing, and our hope that we can move to a place of justice and partnership together.
Opening Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Please fill us with your spirit of love.
Help us to see the world as you do,
to judge with your heart, and to act with
the strength and courage you have shown us
as we work to transform our world.
Amen.
Reflecting on Action(s)
Before commencing the Gospel reading, recall the action(s) decided upon at the previous meeting.
- Was/Were the action(s) carried out? Why? / Why not?
- What happened because of the action(s)? Did you become aware of God’s presence in your life and in the situation or event that you addressed through your action(s)?
- Which feelings are stirred in you as you reflect on your part in the action(s)? What do those feelings tell you about the struggle all Christians experience as they respond to the call to follow Christ?
- How Christlike were you in carrying out the action(s)?
Once you have reflected on the action(s) you had committed yourself to doing, then move on the Gospel reading for this meeting. Do so with the hope that you will learn more about the situation you have chosen to reflect and act on during Lent
The Gospel
Read the Gospel aloud in the group and then read it again individually and silently.
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.”’ (Luke 13:1-9).
See
Use a copy of St Luke’s Gospel to find the context for the interaction that is presented in this passage. Read Luke 12:1 to set the scene.
- Recently, Pope Francis met with the leaders of the French Catholic Action movements during their pilgrimage to Rome. He commended them for using Cardijn’s See, Judge, Act method and reflected on his own use of the method. Concerning the See stage of the method, he commented, “The fineness and delicacy of the action of the Lord in our lives sometimes prevents us from understanding it at the time, and it takes this distance to grasp its coherence.” Use his reflection to help you understand what Jesus is trying to tell us about the bad things that happen in our lives. Apply this to the situation or event you have been reflecting on in this group.
- What is the situation faced by Jesus in this part of Luke’s Gospel? What truth does he draw out of the “disaster” stories that feature in the interaction he has with the people who had gathered to listen to him? Identify the contrasting images of God that fuel the interaction. Which images of God can you identify in the situation or event you are reflecting and acting on during Lent?
- Jesus uses parables to teach people about how God relates with his creation. Who is God in the parable about the fig tree? Discuss the identities of the other “characters” in the parable. Apply the parable, its structure and its message to the situation or event your group is considering during Lent.
Judge
- Which elements of the situation or event you are considering show the existence of God’s Kingdom in society? And the existence of resistance to the coming of God’s Kingdom in society?
- Use the examples to re-tell the parable of the unfruitful fig tree with a contemporary “prop” while maintaining the religious and Christ-centred context.
- What would change in your life if you took Jesus’ teaching seriously? Share your reflections with others in your group.
- Turn the parable into a “what if” story in which the situation or event you have been reflecting on becomes the fig tree. What changes in the situation or event to make it fruitful? Describe the flow on effects of things changing (signs of God’s Kingdom). What have you done to bring about the changes? Why is forgiveness an essential part of the transformation of society?
Act
• Review your actions from the last two weeks. Do they
reflect your intention to focus on conversion of mind,
heart and spirit to conform to Christ? Discuss what
sorts of changes need to be made to the action(s) so
that they reflect what Jesus would do.
• Draw on your reflection on the unfruitful fig tree and
the changes you contemplated to the situation or event
that is your Lenten focus. How does this reflection
impact further the changes to your action(s) that you
have been considering?
• Finally, share your reflections on how you have found
this meeting. One way of doing this is to share three
words that represent what needs to be done to give the
fig tree the encouragement it needs to respond and be
fruitful. Let the others in your group know which word
will be a focus for you over the next week.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
teach me to be generous,
to serve you as you deserve to be served,
to give without counting the cost,
to fight without counting the wounds,
to work without seeking rest,
and to spend my life without expecting any other return
than the knowledge that I do your holy will.
Amen.
IMAGE
Lawrence OP / Flickr / CC BY NC – ND 2.0
Act
In this stage of the Gospel Enquiry, we look for something to do that is small and achievable and that contributes to a much greater change, that is, the transformation of ourselves into followers of Christ Jesus and the transformation of the world. The following questions are offered as a guide in this stage:
- Review your actions from the last two weeks. Do they reflect your intention to focus on conversion of mind, heart and spirit to conform to Christ? Discuss what sorts of changes need to be made to the action(s) so that they reflect what Jesus would do.
- Draw on your reflection on the unfruitful fig tree and the changes you contemplated to the situation or event that is your Lenten focus. How does this reflection impact further the changes to your action(s) that you have been considering?
- Finally, share your reflections on how you have found this meeting. One way of doing this is to share three words that represent what needs to be done to give the fig tree the encouragement it needs to respond and be fruitful. Let the others in your group know which word will be a focus for you over the next week.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
teach me to be generous,
to serve you as you deserve to be served,
to give without counting the cost,
to fight without counting the wounds,
to work without seeking rest,
and to spend my life without expecting any other return
than the knowledge that I do your holy will.
Amen.