Every Moment is a Call to Repentance:
Bearing Fruit in God's Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes current events—tragic, shocking events—and turns them into a lesson about repentance. He reminds us that suffering is not always a punishment for sin, but every event in life, whether joyful or painful, carries a message from God.
St. Clement of Rome once wrote:
“Going over all the stages of history again, we will see that in each era the Lord has given a chance to repent to anyone who wanted to convert to him.” (Ad Corinthios, 7,5)
The question before us today is not about why tragedies happen, but how we respond to them. God continuously calls us back to Him, and He gives us the time and grace to bear fruit.
1. The Call to Repentance in Everyday Events
In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about two tragic events:
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The Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices.
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The 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam collapsed.
The common belief at the time was that these people must have been punished for their sins. But Jesus challenges this thinking and instead tells His listeners:
"Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” (Luke 13:5)
Jesus is not saying that suffering is meaningless. Instead, He is teaching us that every event in life—good or bad—is a moment to turn back to God. He is calling us to live every day as an opportunity for conversion because none of us knows the time or manner of our death.
2. The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree – A Second Chance
To reinforce His point, Jesus gives us the parable of the barren fig tree:
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The fig tree represents the people of Israel—and by extension, all of us—who have been given everything needed to bear fruit.
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The vineyard represents God’s people.
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The owner of the vineyard is God, who expects fruitfulness from His creation.
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The vinedresser, pleading for more time, represents Jesus, who intercedes on our behalf, giving us time to repent and grow in holiness.
Throughout the Old Testament, both the fig tree and the vineyard symbolize Israel when it fails to live up to God’s expectations (Jer 8:13; Joel 1:12). The fig tree appears healthy but is barren—just as the Temple in Jesus' time appeared to function properly but was spiritually empty.
Jesus, as the vinedresser, asks for time, offering one last chance for conversion. But the warning remains: a time will come when opportunities run out.
3. The Responsibility to Bear Fruit
While God is patient, He expects us to produce good works as evidence of our conversion. St. Columbanus teaches:
“True love is more than good words: true love is good works.” (Instructiones, 11, 1-2)
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Repentance is not just about feeling sorry for our sins but actively changing our lives.
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A tree is judged by its fruit. So too, our faith must be visible in our actions.
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We bear fruit when we practice love, mercy, and justice, living according to God’s commandments.
God does not desire the death of sinners but calls everyone to repentance (Ezekiel 33:11). However, grace must not be wasted—the time given to us is not infinite. We must use it wisely.
4. Practical Steps to Take This Lent
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Examine Our Hearts: Are we truly living as God’s children, or have we been spiritually complacent?
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Confession and Renewal: The sacrament of Reconciliation is a powerful way to respond to God’s call.
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Acts of Love and Charity: Our love for God must be seen in how we treat others.
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Daily Conversion: Every day is a new opportunity to turn back to God. Do not delay.
Conclusion:
God, in His infinite mercy, gives us time and opportunities to repent. Every event in our lives is a message from Him, calling us to holiness. But let us not waste this time. The fig tree was given a second chance, but not an unlimited number of chances.
Let us, therefore, respond today, bearing good fruit in our lives. May this Lenten season be a true time of conversion and renewal.