EXPLORE THE SUNDAY GOSPEL
A Call to Repentance and The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
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?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
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?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
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,
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?'
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
Click here for the Scrutiny readings.
Scrutiny Discussion Questions:
- What was it like for the Samaritan woman to meet Jesus?
- What is the "living water" that Jesus talks about?
- Many in the town came to believe in Jesus because of the Samaritan woman's words until they encountered him themselves. Whose personal testimony has inspired your faith?
MEET OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
St. Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayés (Feast Day March 23)
June 29, 1832-March 23, 1914
Rafqa was born in Lebanon in 1832 and was raised in the Catholic faith. Sadly, her mother died when Rafqa was 7 years old. When Rafqa was 11, her father experienced financial hardship and sent her away to work as a household servant. When Rafqa returned home, her father had remarried, and her stepmother wanted to arrange for her to be married. Rafqa refused, as she had come to realize that she was being called to religious life.
Rafqa joined the Mariamette religious order, where she worked in the kitchen at the seminary and spent her free time teaching the village children about Jesus. Her superior noticed how well Rafqa got along with the children and asked if she would like to work as a teacher. She worked as a teacher for 7 years when the Mariamettes announced they would be combined with another order. Rafqa prayed about what she should do and was led to join the Lebanese Maronite Order, a community devoted to prayer, silence, and sacrifice.
Rafqa eventually developed health problems that left her blind and paralyzed, but she felt these disabilities allowed her to share in the sufferings of Jesus. She endured her condition for years with joy and serenity before she died in 1914. Rafqa was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
In today's story, Jesus tells us to repent. To repent is to be sorry for something you've done wrong. Why is it important to repent?
What does it take to make a plant grow? What are some things you have to do to take care of it?
Jesus shares a parable about nurturing a fig tree that is not bearing fruit. What is Jesus teaching us in this parable?
St. Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayés did many different tasks in the Mariamette order. What do you think a member of a religious order does each day?
FAMILY FUN
Shadow Art
Using shadow art, consider retelling today's parable of the fig tree.
Take a disposable cup and cut out the bottom of the cup. Cover the top of the cup tightly with plastic wrap. Using Sharpies, draw different shapes, animals, landscapes, etc., on the plastic wrap. Find a clear space on a solid, lightly colored wall; if you don't have one, hang a light-colored sheet or blanket up. Use a flashlight on the bottom of the cup and project your drawn image onto the wall. Tell a story about your different characters or retell the parable of the fig tree in today's Gospel. Make shadow puppets to interact with your drawings as well.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Oatmeal Fig Cookies
Eat this dessert with figs to remind you of the parable in today's Gospel passage.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 ½ cups quick cooking oats
¾ cup dried figs, diced
(optional) 10 oz. dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour and baking soda, add to butter mixture beating well. Stir in oats, figs, and optional chocolate chips. Using a teaspoon, drop heaping scoops onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
FAMILY PRAYER
Prayer for those in Religious Life
Inspired by St. Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayes, pray today for those in religious life and for those who may be called to join a religious order.
Heavenly Father,
in Your wisdom, You have called certain women and men to a life of special consecration. In prayerful observance of a lifestyle of poverty, chastity, and obedience, they are witnesses to us and show us that, as St. Paul says, "our true citizenship is in heaven." Give them, Lord, the grace of joy and perseverance as they live their holy vocation.
Surround those feeling called to join a religious order with your peace. Guide their steps and connect them with the order that best uses their charisms and gifts. Help them find a community through which they can serve You and the world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
LITURGY LINK
Purple is the liturgical color for Lent, and it represents repentance (turning away from sin).
Where do you see purple at Mass today?
FUN FACTS
During Lent, those preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil participate in three rites called the Scrutinies, which happen on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent. The Scrutinies and the readings for these Masses offer a special chance for personal reflection and self-examination for those preparing for baptism.
