The Venerable Dr. David Anderson
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Image: "Parable of the Barren Fig Tree," (1525-1530) Ludovico Mazzolino, 1480?-1530, painting panel (detail). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Theme of the Day

The warnings are plentiful and blunt on the third Sunday in Lent. Cut it out or get cut down! The warnings are accompanied by God’s invitation to attentiveness: “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” The landowner’s ultimatum is forestalled by the gardener’s readiness to till the ground one more year. That is good news for all of us. Thanks be to God!

The Collect for Sunday

God of infinite goodness, throughout the ages you have persevered in claiming and reclaiming your people. Renew for us your call to repentance, surround us with witnesses to aid us in our journey, and grant us the time to fashion our lives anew; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Prayer Intentions

The prayers of the church are offered especially:

  • for peace in the world and especially for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine;
  • for refugees who flee war and violence;
  • for the needs of the world, especially at this time global pandemic;
  • for safety in the midst of widespread reopenings;
  • for those who are particularly vulnerable to this virus;
  • for those who are sick and those awaiting surgeries postponed;
  • for those who are isolated and anxious;
  • for the healing of racial inequality, prejudice, bigotry, systemic racism, injustice, and hatred;
  • for all who grieve for lost children, for the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and for generational healing;
  • for those who are homeless;
  • for all those who mourn, who are lonely, or suffer from depression;
  • for all those who work for reconciliation and the common good;
  • for Elizabeth our Queen and all those set in authority under her, for Justin, the Prime Minister of Canada and all members of parliament; Doug, the Premier of Ontario and all members of the legislature; Fred, the mayor of Hamilton and those who serve city council;
  • for the First Nations of this land, for elders, chiefs, and band councils; for all in civil authority and for all citizens that we might work together for the common good;
  • for the whole church: for Susan, our Diocesan Bishop; for David and Brian, our priests; for Tom, our intern; for all bish­ops, priests and dea­cons; and for all the bap­tized: that God may accomplish God's work in and through us for the sake of the world;
  • for all for whom we have been asked to pray;
  • for those who are dying and all those who have departed from this life and are at rest.

In our cycles of prayer:

  • With the worldwide Anglican Communion, we pray for La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico.
  • In our diocese, we pray for All Saints Lutheran Anglican Church, Guelph, Pastor Brian Wilker, Rector, Canon William Thomas, Priest Assistant; the Reverend Deacon Christine Clatworthy, Deacon, and the people of that parish.
  • In our neighbourhood we pray for Blessings Christian Church, Pastors Bill DeJong, Ian Wildeboer, Greg Davidson, and the people of that congregation.
  • In our parish cycle of prayer we pray for Michael, Jenna, Henry, Beverly, Robert, Jenna, Tim, Kim, Bill, Dorothy, and John.

Prayer requests to be included on the following Sunday can be submitted here by the Thursday morning before.

The Readings for Sunday

First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-9

To those who have experienced long years in exile, the return to their homeland is a celebration of abundant life. God calls them into an everlasting covenant of love. Those who return to God will enjoy new life and forgiveness, because God’s ways are not our ways.

1Ho, everyone who thirsts,
  come to the waters;
 and you that have no money,
  come, buy and eat!
 Come, buy wine and milk
  without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
  and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
 Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
  and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
  listen, so that you may live.
 I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
  my steadfast, sure love for David.
4See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
  a leader and commander for the peoples.
5See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
  and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
 because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
  for he has glorified you.

6Seek the Lord while he may be found,
  call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake their way,
  and the unrighteous their thoughts;
 let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
  and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
  nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
  so are my ways higher than your ways
  and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm: Psalm 63:1-8

O God, eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. (Ps. 63:1)

1O God, you are my God; eager- | ly I seek you;
  my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there | is no water.
2Therefore I have gazed upon you in your | holy place,
  that I might behold your power | and your glory.
3For your steadfast love is better than | life itself;
  my lips shall | give you praise.
4So will I bless you as long | as I live
  and lift up my hands | in your name. R
5My spirit is content, as with the rich- | est of foods,
  and my mouth praises you with | joyful lips,
6when I remember you up- | on my bed,
  and meditate on you in | the night watches.
7For you have | been my helper,
  and under the shadow of your wings I | will rejoice.
8My whole being | clings to you;
  your right hand | holds me fast. R

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Paul uses images from Hebrew Scriptures and prophecy to speak the truth of Jesus Christ: He is our rock, our water, our food, and our drink. Christ is the living sign of God’s faithfulness.

1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
 6Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Asked about current tragic events, Jesus turns a lesson about whether suffering is deserved into a hard call to obedience. He then tells a parable that holds out hope that the timeline for ultimate judgment will be tempered by patience.

1At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2[Jesus] asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
 6Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ 8He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

This Week

  • Sunday (20): The Third Sunday in Lent (The Lord's Day).
  • Monday (21): Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1556 (Commemoration, day of discipline and self-denial).
  • Tuesday (22): Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1711 (Commemoration, day of discipline and self-denial).
  • Wednesday (23): Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop of Armenia, c. 322 (Commemoration, day of discipline and self-denial).
  • Thursday (24): Lenten Feria (day of discipline and self-denial).
  • Friday (25): The Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Holy Day, day of discipline and self-denial).
  • Saturday (26): Lenten Feria (day of discipline and self-denial). Eve of Lent IV.
  • Sunday (27): The Fourth Sunday in Lent (The Lord's Day).

For readings appropriate to the day visit here.