March 3, 2013 Cycle C
We can begin with the courtship where you take your partner by the hand, hold each other close and look into each other’s eyes. For most the first dance is a discovery of an amazing person you have fallen in love with. Then with family and friends, and champagne and roses, you begin a new dance as spouses, and the gift of married life.
The next dances are jigs and skips around your first apartment or starter house. Soon the dance includes new partners: the colicky baby, the first grader, the teenager, and the angst of being fifteen. And then, the young adult off to college. The next time it’s just the two of you again is at the wedding of your son or daughter, and their first dance with their spouses. Your delight becomes your children and grandchildren. You travel to new places. You finally stop and dance closer together once again.
But eventually the rhythm will slow as you find your joy in the memories of the steps you have danced together. You will become each other’s caregiver and protector as you glimpse together into eternity. You take your spouse to the doctor and slowly help them to the bathroom. You gently dress and feed, and prepare the medications for your beloved. You take your spouse’s hand for the last time.
Different steps, different rhythms, different settings. Before you know it, the world of courtship becomes the shuffle of old age. The choreography is the same: you take your partner by the hand, you hold each other close, and you look into each other’s eyes. And you dance to the music that is the love of God.
The parable today of the fig tree reminds us of the ever changing choreography of our own lives – in keeping tune to the love of God in our lives, every season of our lives can be productive and meaningful. But the life of God is always about continuing “the dance” with hope and with new trust.
As we look today at our parable, we see that the fig tree did not do any harm. It stayed rooted to its spot and offered nothing in return for its existence. And while we come together in this Lenten season, we also become aware more fully of our spiritual lives and the mistakes we have made on the journey recognizing that our sins come big and small. But we often forget that the sins of omission can be as serious as those we actively commit.
Despite the sadness and tragedy that can cut down our lives in disappointment and despair, we must always remember that God continues to plant in our midst opportunities to start over. To try again, to rework things, to move beyond our hurt and our pain, to make things right. Importantly, we remain within the boat of the Church life through our struggles.
As we saw in the parable, the gardener with some affection for trees in his immediate care, bargains for one last season to extract the trees potential. It is ever a metaphor for all of us to learn to appreciate that we can make changes and it’s time to get with the program of the Christian journey for we do not know necessarily, or appreciate, if this is our last season, or is it just around the corner. But we do know that God’s mercy is ever prevalent and all encompassing. And we do know that God’s compassion continues to “play,” enabling us to continue the choreography of a life of purpose and happiness.
For we continue to dance to the music that is the love of God. For Christ calls us to embrace the hope of the fig tree and the determination of the gardener to remember that God’s endless grace enables us to experience the promise of Resurrection in every mistake/death we might experience.
Amen. Amen.Msgr. Tom Adrians, Pastor Christ the King