THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

MARCH 18, 2001

by Rev. Edward Correia, Pastor

Travis Roy had realized his dream by becoming a member of the Boston University hockey team. Eleven seconds into his first college hockey game Travis slammed headfirst into the boards. It left him paralyzed from his neck down.

Are tragedies like this, earth quakes and floods punishments for people’s sins? Jesus tells us in the Gospel that they are not punishments. They just become a warning to repent.

What does it mean to repent? It means to change. Travis’ life has changed. He goes around the country now speaking to young people about what is really important in life. He sees things differently now since his accident. He wants to share this with others.

Repenting for us may mean that we need to see things in a new way.

In the first reading Moses had climbed the mountain and saw a bush burning that wasn’t being consumed by the fire. As he got closer to the burning bush, he heard God speaking to him:

"Moses, don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals. You are on holy ground."

Seeing things in a new way is seeing the power of God’s presence in our lives that has been brought about by our Baptism, Confirmation and Sunday Eucharist. The God who calls himself "I Am" lives in us and with us. Our lives are holy ground.

We may be like the people of Corinth. They were baptized. They were confirmed. They went to Mass every Sunday. They didn’t think there was anything more to be or do. The rest of their lives was their own. St. Paul in today’s second reading warned them that they were wrong.

Lent is a time of positive action. Whatever I have chosen to do in Lent should help me to open my life to the power that is the life of God. I should see the world as God sees the world. I should act as God would act. I should live as God would live. It is to allow God to live in me and through me.

I am very enthused about this parish mission that we will be having for the city during the last week of March. It will be an opportunity to receive more formation. I am hopeful that it will give us new helps to live this life of God each day.

Travis Roy had every good reason to be like the tree that Jesus speaks about in the gospel today. He could have sat in his room and done nothing because all of his life had been taken away.

He could have been like the tree that produced no fruit and needed to be cut down.

Travis is doing more now for people than he would have if he had played college hockey for four years. He calls his life a miracle. It is a miracle. He is like a tree that is producing much fruit.