TRUST, REPENT AND BEAR FRUIT: Sunday Mass Preparation for March 23, 2025
- shbentley639
- Mar 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 23
St. Francis of Assisi Sunday Bulletin: Gospel Reading Page 4 English, Page 5 Spanish
Songs of Mercy
Video for Younger Children
Video for Youth and Adults
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God,
We thank you for your mercy and patience with us.
You are teaching us how to pray, fast, and give alms in this Season of Lent .
In words that we can understand, you are teaching us how to
1) reach out to you in prayer,
2) to REPENT and turn from the distractions of the world
3) to be merciful and look after the needs of others
Help us through your Holy Spirit to REPENT of our wrongdoing and to show kindness and mercy to others.
We ask this in the Name of your Son, Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading:
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15: The Lord God calls Moses to lead his people and tells Moses to call him I AM.
Responsorial Psalm
The Lord is kind and merciful
Second Reading:
1Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 We must remain solid in our faith. We must be humble and not be over confident because we are receiving God's favor and grace.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL: REPENT says the Lord: the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
GOSPEL: Luke 13:1-9
Jesus tells us to REPENT and turn back to God. NOW is the time! You may not have another year
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree
6 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none.
7 So he said to his gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’
8 But the gardener answered, ‘Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer.
9 Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’”
REFLECTION
Here is a great reflection on the readings to enrich your soul.
As we draw closer and closer to Easter, we keep hearing the call to REPENTANCE, the sole condition for receiving God’s mercy and reconciliation.
In this Gospel Story, Jesus shows us that in this life, the wicked are not always punished nor the good rewarded—in the short term. Jesus wants us to understand that suffering is not always the result of sin.
On the other hand, REPENTANCE and the fruits of repentance shown in deeds of love lead to inner peace and eternal life. Doing God’s will brings God’s kingdom/reign to reality every day.
Think of Jesus or a loving, merciful person in your life as the gardener, always giving you a second chance to turn back to God's path for you. How can you imitate that kind of mercy for others?
How do you still need to be pruned in order to bear fruit that will last?
CLOSING PRAYER
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, AMEN
AMEN
Holy Father,
Help us to TRUST in your mercy and love for ALL of us. Help us to believe deep in our hearts that you want nothing more than to have us REPENT and turn back to you to become all we were created to be. In Your Holy Name we pray, AMEN
Comments