March 20, 2022
Third Sunday of Lent (Year C)
Note: When dem use the Scrutinies for Mass, dem fit use the reflection for Year A instead of this one.
Listen for English
“Oga, leave am for this year too, and I go work on the ground around am and put manure for am; e fit bear fruit for future. If e no bear fruit, you fit cut am down.” Luke 13:8–9
Every gardener know say, among other things, good fruit depend on good soil. But other things still dey important to make good fruit grow. The plant no suppose get disease, e must get water and sunlight, dem must plant am for place wey warm, trim am well, and give am enough space to grow. When all these things dey, good fruit go surely come.
Na so e still be for our life. Na the mercy of God be the soil wey dem suppose plant us inside. And na this soil rich pass every other soil wey we fit get to make virtue dem grow for our life. God still dey provide the sun, the rain and the warmth wey we need to grow. But, as this comparison show, we must allow am make dem trim us. We must still allow dem put manure for the soil and work on am for different ways. Even though na Jesus be the Gardener of our life, e still correct to talk say we sef be gardener dem, because we must work together with our Lord. We must depend on the supernatural help wey the Creator dey give, so that our spiritual life go grow well and the good fruit of virtue go come out for our life.
This passage above na the ending of the Parable of the Fig Tree. Just before this passage, the owner of the vineyard, God the Father, order make dem cut down the fig tree wey no dey bear fruit, so that e no go continue to use up the strength of the soil. But our merciful Lord, wey the Father send to work on the soil of our life, want give am one more chance, and the Father agree because of love. This life na that “year” wey our Lord dey use work with all His heart to cultivate the soil around us. We must work together with am through prayer every day, faithfulness to His command dem, sacrifice wey we make out of love, and surrender to His providence. For the end, if we allow our Lord do everything wey E want do, our life go bear good fruit.
But for the other side, make you no doubt this truth: if our life no bear good fruit, dem go “cut us down.” To bear good fruit no be something wey we fit choose to do or leave; na something we must do. E dey clearly show how healthy our spiritual life be, and na wetin dem go use measure whether we go get eternal reward or eternal death. Make this kind strong word wey come from our Lord no make you fear. Na with love E talk am, so that we go know the serious duty wey we get to bear good fruit for our life.
Today, think deeply about the sign dem wey dey show outside whether your spiritual life dey healthy inside. You dey see virtue dem dey grow from your life? You know the work wey God want do for your soul, to cultivate am and put grace and mercy for am like manure? Tell am “Yes” today, and allow that grace make plenty good fruit grow.
My Lord wey full of virtue, I invite You come inside my soul to cultivate am and put Your grace for am like manure. Abeg, trim my sin dem comot and help me make my root dem go deep inside the nourishment wey Your mercy dey give. I dey sorry for the ways wey I don fail to bear fruit for my life. Now I put myself for Your hand, so that Your care go heal all my fault and weakness dem. Jesus, na You I trust.
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(Third Sunday of Lent)
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