It is 17th March 2017. We celebrate the memorial of St. Patrick, the Bishop. The readings are from Gen. 37:3-4,12-13, 17-28 and the Gospel from Mt. 21:33-43, 45-46. The first reading describes that Joseph is the prefigure of Jesus. Joseph was betrayed, rejected, suffered and sold. In this process of all the sufferings and pain, God brings redemption and reconciliation with the ones who harmed him. God is patient with our evil that we perpetrate on others. More the evil we inflict and inject on the others, more security and blessings are hoarded by God for the one who suffers. Life is given by God to do good to the other not to harm them. Let not our jealousy and hatred blind the image of God in the others and destroy them eventually. Life is indeed an opportunity to do good and to serve the other. How do we respond and react in times of pain and suffering? Do we recourse to retaliation and retribution or to wait patiently to wait for the Lord to bring out the goodness in God’s way? The responsorial Psalm praises, “Remember the wonders the Lord has done.” (Ps.104:5). The Gospel brings out the unchanging goodness, patience, generosity and justice of God . We are all the tenants in the gift of life of God. We must not take advantage in the patience of the owner. God will deal with our procrastinations and willful justification in delaying doing good for the other. The moment we cease to bear fruits of goodness and kindness wrapped in charity, God is going to recall the gifts and give it to someone. Lent is the time to take inventory of how far we have lagged in doing good. Time is truly running out in encountering God face to face in settling our account of our lives. May we remind ourselves that we are just renting here on earth and need to give the account the way we have used or abused the benevolence of the land and life. May we deal with our deadly jealousy and become mature in our generosity. May you have a good day.