It is 26th October 2019. The readings are from Romans 8:1-11; and the Gospel from Luke 13:1-9. There is no conversion of heart without the formation of our lives. God does not force conversion and speed up the process without proper lessons learnt and homework completed. God is not eternally patient with our conversion of heart. God waits patiently within the life time to settle the account with God before facing God in person. God warns us sufficiently with the events of life to return to God. Repentance is God’s desire for the fallen humanity but it is a personal spiritual initiative by the one who offended God. God does not silence justice over mercy even though God’s mercy covers the multitudes of sins. In God’s justice God has every right to condemn us but in God’s mercy God redeems us when we repent. God’s mercy is the second chance for us all and God throws himself to save us whatever it takes. God goes out of God’s ways in redeeming us from the things committed against innocent people. God adds colour to our life, adds manure and vitamins for our fruitfulness through the life in the Spirit. God deserves to enjoy the fruits of our soul and body. Unless and until we cooperate with God, we remain fruitless. And therefore, no is authorised to attribute divine punishment to brutal murders and all types of abuse. Life in the Spirit is not opposed to life in Christ according St. Paul. In the first reading, the apostle does not make any difference between Christ and the Spirit. One cannot live outside Christ when one is living in the Spirit. Allowing the Spirit of God to act is the recognition of indwelling of Christ in us. Life comes through the Spirit of God. When we constantly work with the Spirit of God, we are bestowed with freedom and spiritual power to live a life that pleases God. “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” (Rom. 8:11). The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “Such are the people who seek your face, O Lord.” (Ps.23:6). The Gospel invites us to give importance to our personal conversion without ceasing by being docile to the Spirit of love in the light of the Word of God; we need to work for the conversion of the world sharing the significant merciful and forgiving countenance of God. Our main missionary activity is to be prophetic yet profound in handling human nature and sharing hope of salvation in Christ to all people. God is greater than the Church and the Church is bigger than the priests. The divine gardener God inspects the Church and introspects the priests and the faithful for their capacity to bear fruit. God desires fruits of mercy, justice and faithfulness from the Church. God is not interested in uprooting, cutting down and rather to spar and spend extra energy for our survival. Yet, we cannot continue to remain barren, and fruitless; the time to cut down will happen when we choose to remain fruitless. Let us take the warnings seriously, conversion as a daily spiritual exercise, and to read and comprehend the meanings of the signs of the times to embrace the time of grace and fruition. Jesus, the tree of life and the sap of the Holy Spirit can uproot all evil that tears apart from God’s plan to see our life that bears fruit. May we become fruitful people by constant repentance and conversion. May you have a good day. May God bless you.

Leave a Comment