"But I tell you, if you do not repent."

The Gospel for this Third Sunday of Lent, March 3, 2013, sounds a bit angry and threatening, and we must talk about that. Is God as we have known him really furious and offended, demanding infinite justice? If so, the following should be our slogan: “Be afraid, be very afraid.” Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.
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Two Seemingly Random Tragedies

Two recent tragedies were on people's minds. Pilate had ordered the massacre of some Galileans who had come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the temple. And eighteen people had been killed when a tower at Siloam fell on them. Jesus comments that the victims of these tragedies were no greater sinners than other people were.

The Fig Tree & the Gospel of Repentance

Jesus explains his meaning in a parable: The “fig tree” is Israel, God’s beloved chosen people (Jer 8:13; Hos 9:10). For three years, Jesus was in their midst, proving in every possible way that He was the Messiah, for whom they longed. The hard-hearted did not bear the “fruit” of faith in Him. He preached a Gospel of repentance, but they did not believe they needed it.

By telling a parable about a barren fig tree, Jesus emphasizes the point that there is still time for repentance. When Jesus responded to what people told him about the sins of others with a firm exhortation to repent, he gave us an important and helpful warning about our own lives.

Are We Bearing Fruit?

Our work - most especially in this period of Lent - is to determine if we ourselves are bearing fruit. It is not for us to do inventory on the fruit of the other "trees". If we, like “some people” in the Gospel story don’t think that we need to repent, we immediately place ourselves at the top of the list of the people who do. This Lent, let us keep our focus where it needs to be; on our sins to bring us to repentance, and not on the sins of others.

Click here to view all the homilies we have compiled for this Third Sunday in Lent (Cycle C). We have compiled a full resource on the other important events around our Catholic world in this week's issue of ParishWorld.net. You can find them by clicking here.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief


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"This is my chosen Son; listen to him."

This Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, on this second week of our Lenten preparation, our Gospel presents us with the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is one of the New Testament's most mysterious and awesome visions related to us in the three synoptic Gospels (Mark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36).Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

From the Desert to the Mountain

The gospel reading last Sunday brought us to a ‘desert’ experience. Here, our Lord taught us the first lesson for Lent: By relying on God, faithfully adhering to his words and obeying Him, we can overcome all struggles and temptations. This Sunday, Luke brings us to a ‘mountain’ experience: the transfiguration of the Lord (Luke 9:28-36). Here, our Lord gives us another lesson in faith: We must keep faith in him, because he is God’s chosen son, in whom God’s redemptive plan is fulfilled.

What the Tranasfiguration Teaches Us

Of the Transfiguration experience we might ask ourselves: Why did God hide all the glory on Tabor, where no one other then Peter, James and John could witness? Why didn't God save it for the cross? Before light flows over us, we need to go through darkness. The transfiguration teaches us that God's brilliant life included death, and there is no way around it -- only through it. It also reminds us that the terrifying darkness can be radiant and dazzling.

On this second Sunday of Lent, let us look upon the Transfiguration as the presence of Christ, which takes charge of everything in us and transfigures even that which disturbs us about ourselves. Click here to view all the homilies we have compiled for this Second Sunday in Lent (Cycle C).

The Pope's Resigns

Of course, the big news in the Catholic world is that Pope Benedict is renouncing his office. At the same time, Ash Wednesday kicked off the season of Lent this week. And, in fact, Lent is a good time to pray for Pope Benedict and the upcoming conclave.

We have compiled a full resource on the pope's resignation and the other important events around our Catholic world in this week's issue of ParishWorld.net. You can find them by clicking here.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

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"You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

This Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, on this first week of our Lenten preparation, our gospel reading brings us to a desert experience. Here, our Lord shows how temptations can be victoriously overcome. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Lent Begins this Sunday

Last Wednesday, we started the Season of Lent. It is meant to prepare us for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord; the central events in our faith. Following the Easter tradition of the Church where we renew our baptismal promises, the five weeks of Lent provide us with ample catechesis on our faith and how we can live our baptismal commitments fruitfully. With this in mind, our Sunday readings are all the more of significant importance.

Temptation and Satan

Satan, scripture tells us, is the prince of jealousy, bitterness, paranoia, obsession, and lies. Few things in life torment us and beat us up as badly as these. They lurk in every dark corner, come out from under our beds at night, generally threaten us, darken our days, dampen our joys, and make us anxious as to what might lie around the corner.

In the Sunday Gospel, the devil tempts Jesus as he spends forty grueling days fasting in the desert. After three unsuccessful attempts, our Lord drives the devil away. This is a lesson to keep in mind during Lent and throughout our lives. Living in the ‘desert’ of this world, we need to follow our Lord’s example. Click here to view all the homilies we have compiled for this First Sunday in Lent (Cycle C).

The Pope's  Resigns

Of course, the big news in the Catholic world is that Pope Benedict is renouncing his office. At the same time, Ash Wednesday kicked off the season of Lent this week. And, in fact, Lent is a good time to pray for Pope Benedict and the upcoming conclave.

We have compiled a full resource on the pope's resignation and the other important events around our Catholic world in this week's issue of ParishWorld.net. You can find them by clicking here.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief


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"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

This Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 is the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel reading is about Christ’s call of Simon to be an Apostle to go from his normal life of catching fish to his supernatural calling of catching men. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

A Miracle of Abundance

Simon was not there on the seashore to hear somebody teach. He was washing his net with his crew after a disappointing night of catching nothing. Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and then he told Peter to put cast out. Now Christ demonstrates his supernatural mastery over nature by making Simon take a phenomenal catch of fish. Like the wedding feast of Cana, this was a miracle of abundance. Not just some wine for the wedding feast but lots and lots of very good wine. Not just a few fish but so many that two boats were filled almost to sinking for the unsuccessful fishermen.

Expressing their Worthlessness

This Gospel segment contains a surprise development. This Fifth Sunday we find three of the greatest witnesses in the Bible—Isaiah, Paul and Peter—expressing their own worthlessness. Like Isaiah when he experienced the holiness of God in his vision; like Paul on the road to Damascus; Peter didn’t have a chance, cut to the heart when he meets the incarnate “Law” of God -- Jesus Christ the Messiah. He was caught more surely than any fish in a net or with a hook in his mouth. The call is to all of us, too, to put out into deep water and to do apostolate. Check out our full compliment of homilies for this Sunday at this link.

Ash Wednesday is Next Week

Lent starts next week as we celebrate Ash Wednesday. In the Roman Rite, the beginning of the forty days of penance is marked with the austere symbol of ashes which is used in the day's liturgy. The use of ashes is a survival from an ancient rite according to which converted sinners submitted themselves to canonical penance. We have compiled a full resource on the celebration of Ash Wednesday in this week's issue of ParishWorld.net. You can find them by clicking here.

Another eventful week in our Catholic World. Have a great and blessed new week.

Keep the Faith. Peace.

Wally Arida
Publisher & Editor in chief

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