Holy Mass: homily for October 23rd

29th Saturday of Ordinary Time
Gospel of Luke 13,1-9

When some people arrive to tell Jesus of the tragedy and misfortune that befell some Galileans and sort of suggested that they were more sinners than the rest of the Galileans, Jesus takes the opportunity to refute that kind of a mentality; a mentality that is not totally alien to us. It is common for us to think that when everything is going on well; when we have everything we need and have stocked enough for the foreseeable future, it is because of our hard work and better planning.

That the good life is a reward from God for something good we did just as misfortune is a punishment for something bad. We often then keep away from those who seem to move from one disaster to another; some times out of fear that their misfortune can come to us; that they can taint or contaminate us. And while we sometimes feel sorry and pity them, we do not really identify ourselves with them. We suspect that their tragedy, misfortune, pain and sufferings is caused by something wrong they did or failed to do.

Jesus tells his listeners as he tells us today, that misfortune, tragedy and sufferings are no sign of greater sins in those who suffer them. We all share a basic similarity with those who suffer in any way. Everyone, says Jesus, is a sinner and therefore in need of repentance. Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did! Disaster, accidents and sufferings are not inflicted on people by God as a punishment for sins. The God of Jesus Christ, our Father, is intrinsically a God of love, who is merciful and generous to all his people including those we would want to categorize as sinners. His mercy and generosity towards us, is an invitation to us, to in turn be merciful and generous with one another.

No one should look at his gifts, resources and think he deserved better than the other, or look upon anyone who does not have as being punished for something he did or failed to do. Whatever life and prosperity anyone has is to be understood, seen and received as a complete gift, given by God simply because God has chosen to do so, out of his generosity and not because anybody deserved better than the other. God cares for all and he demands that we do the same for one another. Unless you repent you will all perish as they did!

To illustrate his point further, Jesus uses the parable of the unfruitful fig tree. The reason for any farmer to plant fig trees in his vineyard is to enjoy their fruits. And so we can understand the disappointment of this vineyard owner who after three years of finding no fruits on the tree, decided to cut the tree down all together. However, due to the pleading of the vinedresser and the owners’ generous nature, he allows the tree to remain, and hopefully with the hard work of the vinedresser, fulfill the purpose for which it was planted; produce fruits. The vinedresser undertakes to pay particular attention to the unfruitful tree and the owner, despite the length of time the tree has taken without producing, give more time for the tree to produce the desired fruits. The vineyard of course is our world and we are the trees that are planted in order to produce fruits.

Fruits of love, compassion, mercy, generosity, humility, self sacrifice... And although many times these fruits are not very visible in each one of us, through Christ and the action of the Holy Spirit, God our father allows us more time to produce the fruits for which we were planted here on earth. To love one another and work together to build and spread the reign of God, which is expressed in unity, oneness; as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, so too all of us though many and varied in many ways, must work towards that unity. There must never be a “we and them”. Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did!

It is providential and a work of the Holy Spirit that we have this reading at a time when we gather as a Congregation to grapple with questions of vitality, life, diminishment, and lack of growth within the Congregation. Of course we recognize and thank God for having blessed us, as individual members and entities of the congregation, right from the Founder’s time to this gathering, with visible signs of His presence, graces and talents. He has been watering us with all the life giving resources and we must be continuously grateful and bow our heads in gratitude to Him.

At the same time, we also know that there are individual member and entities of the congregation who are suffering a lack of vitality, growth and the production of the desired fruits, just like the unfruitful fig tree in our parable today. We do know that given the right conditions, manure, water... the tree possesses within itself, the seed of its own fruits. The same principle can be applied to our Congregation. The questions that we have to face and answer, in the light of the Gospel we have just read, are: Do we want to cut the unfruitful trees down or do we want to give them a chance, by providing the manure, water and life supporting resources, so that they can produce the desired fruits? What sort of a mentality or attitude do we have towards those members or entities that are not experiencing the fullness of life? Do we look upon them with a bit of suspicion, that may be there is something they did or failed to do, that has resulted in their lack and struggle?

Do we understand that we are in it together, that those who are experiencing difficulties of whatever kind, need our special attention and care, in the same way Jesus pleads for us to the Father to the point of giving up his life that we may have life and have it to the full? Do we understand that diminishment in any part, is our own diminishment, or do we have a “we and them” attitude. Unless you repent you will all perish as they did!

The invitation and the challenge the Gospel presents to us today is that each one of us, individually and as entities, should act like the vinedresser and plead for the tree to be given more time; while we do all in our power and ability to create a conducive environment that will allow the tree to bring forth its fruits.

As we gather to once again look into this matter of life, vitality and fruitfulness of our tree, our Congregation, let there be no holding back, no separations between “us and them”, no questions of who is at fault or responsible for the lack and diminishment, but that there should only be one question for all of us to answer: What can I as an individual, community and entity do to enhance this life and fruitfulness within the Passionist world.

Fr. Michael Ogweno.