A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[30] Exod 3:1-8a, 13-15 Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8+11 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

In today’s first reading, on the third Sunday of Lent, we hear the story of the burning bush. I’m guessing this story is familiar, and it would be easy to simply read it and then carry on with our days. However, I invite you to read the story a little more closely. We were recently talking about this famous story in my theology class, and my professor mentioned how common a sight like a burning bush would have been in the desert of Moses’ time. Why did Moses stop to look at this particular burning bush then? We can read in this passage that although the bush was on fire, it was never consumed. I think I would have stopped and examined this phenomenon a little closer as well!

Why did God choose to reveal himself in a burning bush? Why is it an important detail that this bush was never consumed by the fire? In Moses’ time, people worshiped lots of false gods, while Moses and the Israelites were worshipping the one true God. The difference between all of the false gods and the one true God is that the false gods “consumed” the people who believed in them. They only existed in the peoples’ minds, and so took a lot of time and energy away from these people. The one true God, on the other hand, actually did (and does!) exist, and so our efforts aren’t “consumed” by believing in him. God showed his power in the burning bush, and this scene served as a representation of his eternal, non-forceful love. 

In today’s Gospel, keeping with the agricultural theme, we hear the parable of the fig tree. In this story, the owner of a garden with a fig tree in it is frustrated with his gardener, because the fig tree isn’t producing any figs, which is exactly what it is created to do. The gardener promises that he will fertilize the ground around the fig tree to ensure that it begins to bear fruit. The parallels to our lives are pretty apparent. We are called to “bear fruit” in our lives, or in other words, bring ourselves and others closer to Christ. When we aren’t bearing fruit, God is not pleased with our performance. We are called to be the fertilizer to others and help them grow in relationship with Christ and bring others closer to him.