Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year C
Theme: We are all sinners. The difference is just a matter of degree – there are bigger sinners, and there are lesser sinners, but all sinners nonetheless.
By: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
Homily for Sunday March 20 2022
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Exodus 3:1-8,13-15
1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12
Luke 13:1-9
*INTRODUCTION*
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate already the third Sunday of the Lenten Season in Year C.
Today we are reminded that, All of us have been called to leave behind our past lives and our state of sin, and enter into a new existence with God through grace, and by His ever generous love, mercy and forgiveness.
*ABOUT OUR FIRST READING*
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus the account of the calling of Moses at Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, during the time when Moses was in the land of the Midianites while in exile from Egypt. At that time, Moses, who had been raised by the Pharaoh’s sister as her own son after having been rescued from the River Nile, had been accused of misconduct and treason for having killed an Egyptian that persecuted an Israelite slave worker. Moses then fled away from Egypt to avoid beingpunished.
*FROM OUR SECOND READING*
In our second reading today, taken from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Here, we are reminded that, the Lord has always showed His love and mercy. He gave us all a chance, because He believed in us and He loved us, which was why He created us all in the first place. He would not have created us if He did not love us. He showed us that while we may have frequently been unfaithful to Him, but He never ceased to be faithful to the promises that He had made to us since the very beginning.
*FROM OUR GOSPEL READING*
The Gospel mentions two unfortunate incidents: the Galileans who were killed by Pilate as they offered sacrifices, and the eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them. Jesus reminded his listeners that these are strong warnings to all: “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” This Gospel account is a warning against judging anybody, for we are all sinners.
*CONCLUSION*
Jesus expressly warns us: “Do not judge and you will not be judged!” But many of us do not take this seriously. We are all sinners. So when we see the sins and mistakes of other people, this is not an opportunity to judge and look down on them; neither is this the chance to boast about our petty virtues and assume that we are holier than them. We should be reminded that what happens to others could also happen to us at any time. Considering that we, too, are weak and vulnerable in different aspects of our life.
May you have a Blessed Sunday.
Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA