18 Mar
Sun
3rd Sunday of Lent (C)
Ex. 3:1-8a, 13-15
Ps. 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
1 Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12
Lk. 13:1-9
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     How many times have we wondered why in some great disaster like an earthquake, a typhoon, or a plane crash some people get killed while others walk away without a scratch? Why do we find some bachelors living into their 90s while the mother of young children is taken away by cancer in her 30s? We cannot really give easy answers to such questions. Nor in today's Gospel does Jesus try to do so. What he does do is to deny that the deaths mentioned in the Gospel were punishment for sin. In such tragic situations both good and bad are victims. Instead, Jesus asks people to focus on their own lives and see in these sudden tragedies timely warning for themselves. If we were to be overtaken by a similar happening, how prepared are we to face our God? If we have been given more time, we should perhaps see ourselves like the barren fig tree, not bearing the expected fruit. Like the gardener in the parable God is giving us a little more time and more of His grace (fertiliser) to see if we will improve. And, given the uncertainty of our future, let us begin today, let us begin right now. The surest way to be ready for the future is to live totally in the present, because that is where God is to be found.
    

     Remove from our hearts, Lord, all fear. Fill us with confidence in Your love and help us to love You in every happening that we experience this day.
DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That, with the committed help of all believers, the scourge of poverty may come to an end, eliminating the intolerable social and economic inequality in the world
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That, with the committed help of all believers, the scourge of poverty may come to an end, eliminating the intolerable social and economic inequality in the world

One might also say that poverty is the negation of economic and social rights and that the poor who suffer from absolute poverty are denied the most fundamental right which is the right to life. The international community too is becoming progressively more aware of the gravity of the problem and has declared solemnly to fight and reduce extreme poverty by 2015. Besides, how can we not realise the situation growing worse in spite of the increase in available resources.

The problem of unequal distribution of resources in its correct setting is an ethical one, since it is a problem of justice: the poor are in the first place victims of injustice. In the era of globalisation we can no longer tolerate a world in which the very rich live side by side with the poor, the property less who lack even the essentials with people who shamelessly waste what others desterately need. One of the more evident worrying consequences of this phenomenon is in fact the progressive increase instead of the decrease of inequalities, in both poor countries and rich countries, and between the North and South.

Let us pray that the scourge of poverty may come to an end




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