Imagine a world where there were no second chances. We’d have only one shot at everything. Fail once, and you’re a failure forever. There is no room for mistakes, no allowances for starting all over again and no turning over a new leaf. It’s a bit like a keyboard without a delete button. A totally unforgiving world. Happily, the reality is that we have a very forgiving God with enormous patience and He is willing to give us never-ending second chances to live up to His expectations. We constantly disappoint and reject Him but such is His love for us that He is always ready to give us another chance. Not only that, He will also give us the grace to help us turn over that new leaf and He will wait however long it will take us to do so.

This is what the parable of the fig tree in this Sunday’s gospel is all about. God created us with the potential to bear fruit and He will give us every opportunity to reach that potential. This Lent, we can embrace the second chances the the Lord gives us by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Every Saturday, there are two chances to be reconciled with God at St Teresa’s Church: there are confessions at 11:00 am and again at 5:00 pm. We may fall time and time again, but the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the strength to rise again and start a new chapter with a happier ending.