More Dreadful Than the ICC
Homily on the Third Sunday of Lent; 23 March 2025, FSpIF Chapel, Talamban
Twelve days ago our former President was arrested by the authorities to stand in trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged crimes against humanity. We Filipinos know that despite the many good he has done for the country, sad to say, tens of thousands according to media reports became victims of extra-judicial killings conducted during the bloody war that he, as President, had waged as a quick fix to the country’s drug problem. While many are still questioning the legality of his arrest, according to the latest survey conducted by the SWS (Social Weather Station) a much greater number of Pinoys approve of his trial before the ICC.
Now we ask, could this be the beginning of both human and divine retribution for him and the high ranking officials who implemented or supported his drug war? It is undeniable that no matter how good a person might be, once he is found guilty of having committed a crime, he will be held liable by the court for all the casualties and damages caused by his crime. For no one is really above the law.
Brothers and sisters we are now entering the third week of the Lenten season. We are halfway through our spiritual preparation for Easter. The question is: Have we considered seriously the divine call to conversion? Have we really begun to respond to the Lord’s invitation to make a return to God, and to fix this most important relationship that we ourselves have broken by our sins? Or would we rather remain in our sins ignoring the terrible consequences of divine judgment and retribution?
In the gospel we have heard today Jesus tells us without mincing words “If you do not repent you will all perish as they did (Lk 13:3).” This was actually his advice to the Jews who reported to him the tragedy of certain Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Many Jews in fact have judged those Galileans to have committed sins greater than all other Galileans, something Jesus does not ascribe to. So what did he really mean by telling them “If you do not repent you will all perish as they did”? To understand these words we have to know its proper context.
As a typical Jew, Jesus lived in the worst of times when the Roman conquerors dominated the world particularly the land of Israel. The Jews were not free. Their lives were controlled. And so, Jesus himself must have seen how many people suffered in the brutal hands of the authorities who abused their power.
He was aware of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He was also aware of the eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them. Above all he must have been aware of the strong tendency among his fellow Jews to make instant and unfair judgments on others, especially on those who were tragically killed. Even today there are a lot of people who are so quick to judge others. Kung may sakit kang malubha, ah siguro may kasalanan kang nagawa. Kung mahirap lang kayo, siguro tamad at mabisyo ang Tatay nyo.
Today Jesus wants us to junk our judgmental attitude. In place of this, he wants us to respond to God’s invitation to conversion, for God’s kindness, mercy and compassion is UNLI and BOTTOMLESS to those who fear him. This is what we have just sung as our Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is kind and merciful” (Ps 103). If we repent from our sins, God will show us compassion beyond our expectation, and he will ultimately save us from condemnation to eternal death. However if we just take this for granted and let go of this privileged opportunity to experience his boundless mercy, then we should not blame him for the eternal punishment we truly deserve. None one is above the divine law. And no one will escape divine retribution. The final judgment could be much more dreadful than the ICC.
Now if you think and feel that you have committed no crime or no serious sin at all, just listen to this. There is a much higher standard set on those among us who are already following the Lord. According to Jesus it is not enough that we turn away from our wrong doings and misdeeds. It is of prime importance that we, his close followers, also grow in every virtue and bear fruit in many good works. The parable that we heard in the last part of today’s gospel illustrates this best. The story was actually addressed to the Jews, particularly to his disciples who had been experiencing the tender loving care of God for the past three years that he had been in their midst. Yet unfortunately, Jesus laments that neither their Jewish faith nor their following Him have produced any fruit at all.
On our part when we reflect on our lives, we realize that we too had been spiritually nourished and cared for by God not only for three years but for the past five-hundred and four years of our history as a Catholic nation. Let us therefore ask ourselves, what impact have we made in our community today? Have we made our society and the world a little better? Have we Catholics done enough to seriously get rid of dishonesty, corruption and unchristian ways of saying and doing things? Are we striving to be really good Christians and upright citizens, helpful to neighbors, kind, gentle and understanding towards others esp. to the young and the elderly, to the poor, the weak and the needy? So many questions to ponder and reflect…. Right?
At times we lament that there is so much suffering around us, and many times we just resort to blaming others or remaining indifferent about it. Maybe we need to ask ourselves. Could God be calling me to do something about certain evils that cause so much suffering?
In the first reading that we heard today, God called Moses long ago from tending the flock to saving his own people from suffering caused by their slavery and forced labor in Egypt. Could God also be calling me out of my comfort zone to respond to the needs of my brothers and sisters who are suffering today? I am addressing this question particularly to the young people who are here. Could God also be calling you in the same way that he called Jesus from his carpentry shop in Nazareth to begin a new mission for the world, that of saving humankind from sin? If you choose to remain in your comfort zone and do nothing good to overcome the evil around you, the day will come when you will be held accountable for the many wasted opportunities to share in the Lord’s mission. For at the end of time, before th highest ICC, both the evil doers and the fruitless believers will perish if they do not repent.
While we strive to intensify our prayers and penitential acts during this Lenten season, let us also spend some quiet and reflective ME time with the Lord and consider the possibility that, through our almsgiving and other works of mercy, we can be THE ANSWER to someone else’s desperate plea. We can be the living sacraments of God’s compassionate love to each other, esp. to those among us who are the poorest and the neediest, the most depressed and the most oppressed. Our little but consistent works of justice and mercy can certainly be the fruits God has been waiting for us to produce for the glory of his name.
May our encounter with Jesus in the Holy Mass today make our Lenten journey truly meaningful, fruitful and holy. GiGsss!
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