Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The Responsorial Psalm this week captures the theme of all the readings:  The Lord is Kind and Merciful.  God was very present to Moses as we see in the experience of the burning tree.  He understood that God had mercy on His people and He would rescue them with infinite love and patience.  Our repentance includes receiving this same mercy and to rid ourselves of being judgmental or condescending to others.  Jesus gives us the parable of the fig tree.  Even the fig tree got a second chance and God gives us even more opportunities to turn to Him.  Life is fragile.  Our faith teaches us that if an accidnet happens or a natural disaster, it does not mean that God is pnishing and we know that, too, God is not waiting to punish us if we fall and sin.  God is always on the side of invitation with open arms; He is always waiting to forgive.  St. Therese of the Child Jesus was a great inspiration to a young man who went through severe temptations on the road to being a missionary.  She wrote to Maurice, "Now that the storm has passed, I thank the good God for making you go through it, for we read these beautiful words in the bible 'happy the man who  has suffered temptation' (James 1:12) and again" 'he who has not been tempted what does he know?'"  (Sirach 34:10).  "When Jesus calls a person who is to lead others to salvation, he will experience many trials in life...God makes use of my weakness to do His work, for the strong God likes to show His power by making use of nothing." (Maurice & Therese, The Story of a Love, by Patrick Ahern, Doubleday, 1998.

Fr. David