Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He 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!”
In today’s Gospel reading, people describe to Jesus the brutal violence under Pilate of Galileans whose blood was spilled as they offered ritual sacrifices. Exactly what happened is not clear. Jesus gives another example of people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them. In both instances, Jesus says it is not that these people were more guilty than anyone else but that what is needed—what he calls them to—is repentance. The Greek word from which repent is translated is metanoia, or a transformative change of heart. The Gospel acclamation expresses this in this way: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.”
Help me understand, Lord, this conversion of heart that your Son calls me to. It is easy to brush off the violent events of the past as irrelevant and completely unlike those of today. Beneath that, though, is the message of your mercy. And then in the parable, your Son says of the barren fig tree: “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.” One more gift of mercy you give to us for change of heart, one more call to return to you.
Lord, you are beautiful to behold in the Blessed Sacrament. Although it is not practical for me to be before you throughout the day in adoration, teach me to return to you with my whole heart through the people I meet and in my words and actions. Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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