Sunday, March 23, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

This weekend's Gospel passage recounts two events that prompt Jesus to speak about repentance. The first in-volves a report about some Galileans killed by Pilate while offering sacrifices. The second recounts the collapse of a tower in Siloam, which killed 18 people. While people question whether the victims' tragic fate is a result of their sins, Jesus affirms that those who have died are no more sinful than anyone else. He cautions the crowd not to view these events as direct punishments for sin or to dwell on speculation about why God allowed these tragedies to happen. Instead, He invites them to reflect on the fragility of life and the uncertainty of the human world. These events serve as a call to turn toward God, to seek His mercy, and to recognize the importance of repentance. Jesus urges them to live in a way that reflects true values and spiritual gifts from God. Finally, in the parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus emphasizes that while God is patient and offers opportunities for growth and transformation, we must not take His grace for granted. There is a call to bear good fruit and live with a sense of urgency. If we remain stagnant and unresponsive to His grace, we risk being cut off from God’s bless-ings.

On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent, the 8:30 AM Mass in Vietnamese, the 12:30 PM Mass in Spanish, and the 4:00 PM Mass in English will have different readings from the other Masses, as they will include the Rites of Scrutiny for the OCIA catechumens. These Rites are designed to help the catechumens deepen their spiritual journey by confronting sin, temptation, and darkness in their lives, while calling upon God’s grace to strengthen them as they continue their preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism. Therefore, the readings for the scrutinies are carefully chosen to reflect this journey: the story of the Samaritan Woman in the 3rd week of Lent, the Heal-ing of the Man Born Blind in the 4th week of Lent, and the Raising of Lazarus in the 5th week of Lent. These readings emphasize themes of thirsting for the living water of Christ, moving from spiritual blindness to sight, and the hope of resurrection. These distinct readings help those OCIA catechumens mark this period of Lent as a time for deeper reflection, purification, and preparation before entering into full communion with the Church through Sacraments of initiation.

The story of the Samaritan Woman, found in John 4:5-42, reminds us that only Jesus can offer the living water that truly satisfies our deepest longings, transforms our hearts, and leads us into the perpeptual life. Learning about the profound encounter with Jesus, her transformation through His words, and her confident witness to her community, we are challenged to reflect on our own spiritual thirst and where we turn to quench it. This Lenten season, we are invited to approach the well of God’s mercy, to drink deeply of His grace, and to renew our commitment to follow Him more faithfully.

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.