3rd Sunday of Lent (C) 23 March 2025 Sermon

3rd Sunday of Lent (C ) 23 March 2025 Relevance of God

Moses encounters the bush which burns but is not consumed by the fire. This puts us in mind of sacred realities which are beyond time and, as it is usually put - last forever. I am who am (Ex 3,14). 

Some think that God is irrelevant because He does  not always make Himself obvious. They live busy lives and then hide behind that busy-ness to say there is no God.

We can make our own world without God,  but it can unravel very quickly. Sooner or later it  must be seen for its shallowness.

A man once said of his adult children: They don’t need religion at the moment. He meant that  because they are in good health, and very busy with their lives, they have no time for God, nor even need of Him.

But where does this lead? Every man must stand before the judgment seat of  Christ  (2 Co 5,10).

Younger people as well, take note. Time is given to us to express our service of God. Whatever our age or circumstances we need to be right with Him at all times.

This is not meant to be a burden, but a liberation. If in step with Christ we have the key to all happiness.

God claims all seven days, and every minute of them; as He claims also all the other places besides churches. He claims the shops the squares, the ovals, the workplaces - everywhere.

Of course He gives a large amount of autonomy to our activities. He does not normally intervene in every detail. He lets us decide what we are going to do and will normally let things follow their logical course (which is why we are in so much trouble!)

For example:  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. (Rm 1,24-25)

God has the last say. He expects us to understand that it is all from Him. We have to refer back constantly, in thanksgiving, in sorrow, in petition, always orientating ourselves to His abiding and overall will.

He is not an oppressive ruler by any means, being ready to give us more than we dare to ask (see the Gospel where He is willing to give more time to the repentant. (Lk 13,8-9)

We can help get the message out by being faithful and persevering in all weathers; keeping the lights on so that people can see where they can find peace.

We keep the spiritual perspective foremost. We still do all the necessary mundane things, but never to the point of forgetting the spiritual.

Part of our prayer needs to be atonement for the fact that God is so widely ignored and denied. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do (Lk 23,34). They are a stiff-necked people. (Ex 32,9)

It is a fight to the death for relevance. Our opponents want us to be irrelevant, and they will use any sort of attack against us, honest or not.

We have the same message as Isaiah and Jeremiah, as Elijah and Ezekiel: Behold your God! (eg Is 40,9). Come to terms with Him, or reap the consequences. In short, Repent.

The people either laughed at the prophets, or tried to kill them. It is much the same today.

It becomes a bit draughty for the faithful disciples. We can spend a lot of time standing apart from the majority. This has to be done until better times come. We stand with a crucified Saviour.