Disaster in Chile and Haiti
Mar
7
Written by:
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Disaster in Haiti and Chile
Pastor’s Column
3rd Sunday of Lent
March 7, 2010
Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all die as they did!
From this Sunday’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
Natural disasters and the incredible sufferings that accompany them have been much in the news lately. Who among us has not been moved by the tremendous forces of earthquakes that strike without warning and have changed so many lives forever? Or who can forget the Sumatran tidal wave that took hundreds of thousands of lives several years ago?
A Christian cannot read about these kinds of events without being deeply moved to action. One response is to pray; another is to act by giving to a good charity that will help, like Catholic Relief Services; and a third response is to ponder deeply the meaning of these events in our own personal lives. Our faith in God must make some kind of response to these tragedies.
The people of Jesus’ time had similar questions as we do! They questioned Jesus about the fate of 18 people who had a tower fall on them, or the reason that others were unjustly condemned by Pontius Pilate. Their question was, were these people in some way more guilty than the rest of us? Did they somehow deserve what happened to them?
We have similar questions. How often have we ourselves suffered some injustice, whether small or great, and wondered what we had done to deserve this? We want to ask God, Haven’t I prayed enough? Gone to Mass? Kept the commandments? What sin did I commit that these things have happened to me? What is Jesus’ response to us?
First, Jesus answers with his life. He too will go before Pontius Pilate, as these Galileans did, and die unjustly. He did this out of love. When we are suffering from an illness or some kind of injustice, whether small or great, we can look at a crucifix and realize that the Son of God, too, has suffered, like me. He really does understand. He really does love me.
Secondly, Jesus tells us to repent! He points out that the real tragedy is not that a tower fell on these 18 people, for we all have to die. The real tragedy is to die in the state of sin. The real tragedy is to live a life without repenting, and that is a good lesson for us in the middle of Lent indeed.
Father Gary