Lent 3

Bible Readings

Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8,

1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9

Psalm 63

Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence

In Psalm 63, the psalmist takes refuge in the place where he feels truly loved and secure -- in the shadow of the wings of God. There is intense longing: "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water". There is also ecstatic fulfillment: "Because your steadfast love is better than life my lips will praise you”….

It is not always easy to see the hand of God at work in our lives or to claim God's steadfast love for oneself. Saint Augustine in his Confessions looked back over the early years of his life and in hindsight could see God at work, accomplishing God's purposes for him in unlikely circumstances. This remembrance of things past, of God's care for us in often unexpected ways, becomes the safe place at the centre of our lives and the assurance that God will continue to be with us in the years ahead.
Jane Strohl https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=529

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Thanks be to God that God is not the vineyard owner. Rather, God is the gardener. God is the gardener who says no to the wisdom of the world. God is the gardener whose love rejects the wisdom of the world. God is the gardener who proclaims our value not in terms of whether we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, not in terms of what we produce, what we make or even what we take. God the gardener tells us, “All that doesn’t matter. I don’t care about all that. What matters is how much I care.”                                 
Excerpt from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidhenson/2013/02/god-is-a-gardener-a-homily-for-lent-3c-luke-131-9/

Annunciation of the Lord 25 March

Annunciation of the Lord is the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit to be called Jesus (Luke 1:26–38). The angel’s pronouncement is met with Mary’s willing consent (“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word”), and thus precipitates the Incarnation of Christ and his redemption of the world.                                         https://www.britannica.com/topic/Annunciation-Christianity

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified “yes” to your will and plan for my life.”  In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

http://www.pagadiandiocese.org/2015/03/24/readings-reflections-solemnity-of-the-annunciation-of-the-lord-march-252015/