Some Jews often spoke of calamities and disasters as being the consequence of sin. In the Gospel, Jesus uses two occasions – one a political massacre of Galileans by Pilate, and the other a natural disaster causing the death of 18 people, with the collapse of a tower in Jerusalem – to address the issue of sin and judgment, with his Jewish audience. Jesus points out that the real danger and calamity in the case of an unexpected disaster or a sudden death, is the fact that it does not give us time to repent for our sins, and to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord.

The warning is clear - take responsibility now for your actions and moral choices, and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul and body as well. If it is not eliminated through repentance – i.e. asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace – it leads to a spiritual death, which is far worse than physical destruction. St Paul reminds us that we must live by the truth and in love, so that we can reflect Christ in everything we do.

Growth in maturity of faith is the need of the hour!