To Repentance and Faith!

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Rom 8:1-11; Lk 13:1-9

Today’s Gospel presents the truth of God’s patience and human vulnerability as reasons for our repentance. 

In the Gospel, some people come to Jesus with the disturbing news that Pilate had killed some Galileans while they were offering sacrifices.

What was their intention in bringing such news to Jesus? Did they expect that Jesus would join in their speculation about what went wrong or who was sinful?

Whatever may have been their intention, Jesus did not join the bandwagon. Instead, he invokes another example wherein eighteen people were killed because the tower at Siloam fell on them. 

In coming up with another example, Jesus’ intention is not to let them dwell on some unfortunate historical instances. By adding another example to what they already present, Jesus helps them realize that more than such historical happenings, the lessons they carry are important. Thus, Jesus turns their attention inward without entertaining pointless questions about what really happened or who was wrong.  

This is when Jesus talks of the reality of the impermanence of human life. It is not Jesus’ intention to threaten people with death but to show them that life can change in an instant. Since we do not know how much time we have, it is good that we consider the present as a gift to amend our ways so that we return to God in repentance, renew our lives, and bear fruit as is expected of the fig tree.

Jesus does not want us to fear death but to live life meaningfully before the inevitable reality catches up with us. Following the same logic, in the example of the fig tree, Jesus does not want us to see the anger of God but to discover the invitation of a loving Father to repentance and faith.

God’s patience cannot be a license for us to carry on with our old selves. I have heard that ‘Every day is a second chance.’ Hence, the God of second chances patiently awaits our return to him. 

Let us pray for the grace to walk back to our loving God in earnest remorse and sincere faith. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar