Third Sunday of Lent
1ST READING
The
command to take off his shoes alerts Moses to the fact that he is
having an epiphany of God. This is not just any ordinary sort of
revelation but one of God Himself. Moses should be sure of this when he
listens to God’s request. The name God gives to Moses is not really a
name at all but a statement of His eternal being.
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15
1 Moses
was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of
Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the
mountain of God. 2 There
an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire,
was not consumed. 3 So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 6 I
am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to
look at God. 7 But the
Lord said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. 8 Therefore I have come
down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out
of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and
honey.” 13 Moses
said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God
of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is
his name?’ What am I to tell them?” 14 God replied, “I am who I am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.” 15 God
spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘The
Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the
God of Jacob, has sent me to you. ‘This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.’”
P S A L M
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
R: The Lord is kind and merciful.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) 3 He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. 4 He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R)
6 The Lord secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed. 7 He has made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the children of Israel. (R) 8 Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is
his kindness toward those who fear him. (R)
2ND READING
Paul
is not one to “gild the lily,” so to speak. He says it how he sees it
and does not seem to mind if he upsets anyone in the process. Jesus
tells us that it is the truth that sets us free in the end (John 8:32).
There must have been a fair number of Jews in the Corinthian community,
or else the implications of what he says here would be lost on the
readers of the letter. He obviously wants us to be aware that the
consequences of sin are very serious indeed.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
1 I
do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors
were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them
were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. 6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil
things, as they did. 10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffer death by the destroyer. 11 These
things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down
as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
GOSPEL
Jesus
wants us to take sin seriously and to be realistic as to who is the
actual sinner. Let us not simply pass the responsibility of sin to
others, but own that which is our own. The parable of the fig tree
reminds us that it is not good enough to avoid sin but we have to bear
fruit for the Kingdom of God. Let us all remember this as we seek to
follow God’s will in our lives.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Repent, says the Lord; the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Luke 13:1-9
1 Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. 2 Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? 3 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! 4 Or those eighteen people
who were killed when the tower at
Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than everyone
else who lived in Jerusalem? 5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 6 And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this
fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ 8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”
think: It is not good enough to avoid sin; we have to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ___________________________
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God’s special verse/thought for me today_________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR James 1-5
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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