Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
What a set of readings! Today includes some of Romans 8, which is exciting in and of itself. Then, we hit the gospel and Christ talks about two current events of His time, and we follow all of that up with the parable of the fig tree that is bearing no fruit. Out of all of that, it was the fig tree that spoke to me the most. I appreciate the message it conveys about our need for repentance, and God’s patience with us. Even more though, I want to reflect on the fig tree as it relates to our three relationships: God, others, and self.
In our relationship with God, I believe the fig tree can often be that unanswered petition we have in our lives. Father Satish just preached about this on October 20 and it fits this parable so well. Maybe it is a petition that we think should have been answered by now and so we are looking to its lack of fruit as a reason to stop praying about it. Or maybe this is a petition that we wouldn’t yet be able to see the answer, such as, praying for the health of an unborn child. Just because we can’t find the fruit, doesn’t mean the fruit isn’t yet to come, and this reading reminds us, as God often does, give it more time. Don’t give up yet.
In our relationships with others, I am reminded less so of people who have friends and family who have left their faith. The situations that come to mind are people working with difficult people. The teacher with a troublesome student that seems unreachable. An employee whose co-workers show her no respect. The waiter who is treated poorly because of his source of income. The driver who has just been cut-off. We have tons of situations where we look to God asking, “Do I have to love this fig tree too? Do I have to work with them, respect them, pray for them, be kind to them, and pour my time and effort into them too?” Undoubtedly we hear the same answer. “Yes, give them more time to bear fruit.” And really we should be grateful for that answer, for I’m certain God could remind us of all the times we have been the fruitless fig tree to others.
Finally, in our relationship with ourselves this parable rings true as well. In this instance, the fig tree isn’t usually a petition or a person, rather it is a habit, practice, or virtue. We could be trying to pray more, read scripture more, be more grateful, or develop the virtue to overcome a bad habit in our life. Maybe we are reading the daily readings everyday saying, “God, I’m not getting anythings out of this!” Maybe we are going to adoration once a month feeling like it is fruitless and pointless. Maybe, try as we want, we just can’t foster the humility to overcome our pride. Or we are falling asleep every time we try to get through a rosary. Then we look at these fig trees in our lives, and we wonder, why am I trying something that just isn’t working. Often in these situations we also hear the call for perseverance and patience.
Now in all three of these relationships I want to call attention to details of the parable. First, we are the one addressing the gardener, for it is God and His grace that helps cultivate these situations to bear fruit. Second, we need not take the one year extension that is in the parable too literally. Some things may take longer, but if we feel God calling us to persevere, He will also give us the strength to do it. Finally, the fig tree owner only visited his tree to search for fruit on it. If it took him three years to realize it wasn’t bearing fruit, just how invested was he? Let’s make sure that we are playing an active role in attending to these relationships and caring for these fig trees in a way the land owner might not have been.
- Spencer Hargadon