In this Sunday’s gospel, Luke reminds us that repentance is vital, according to Jesus’ own words and that those who fail to repent will perish. In fact, we hear a clear message that the Church has taught forever: there is no sin that God cannot forgive, there is no Mercy from God Himself that is not powerful enough to transform us, and there is no sinner that God would rather lose instead of turning us from sin back to Him. God’s forgiveness, His mercy, His desire to be one with the whole of His creation is so abundant and so magnificent that we should be comforted in knowing that salvation is always being offered to us. We have but one singular action to perform—repent. Be contrite—truly con-trite—and God will forgive us; He will save us and bring us into the Kingdom of Heaven by the same power that Raised Jesus from the dead—raising our mortal bodies and transfiguring them into the glorious, risen body of Christ—for all eternity.
We hear the story of the fig tree and the desire by its owner to destroy this tree that bears no fruit. But the gardener (God) desires to prepare the soil around it, He desires to fertilize it and make it so the fig tree will bear much fruit. In doing so, the fig tree is enabled to fulfill its purpose and from its purpose more life comes. We are the fig tree. The soil—our earthly world—is prepared and fertilized by God in and through His Church and the Sacraments of the Church, which Christ Himself instituted and handed on to Peter and his successors for the benefit of all “fig trees,” us. When we participate in the soil that has been prepared for us (the Church) and are fertilized (nourished by the Sacraments and Word of God) we too will bear fruit…in our families, in our work, in our leisure.
I love figs! Let’s all cultivate the “fig trees” that we are and be fed and nourished by the Good Gardener by receiving and participating faithfully in the Sacraments and Word of God. Let us be nourished. Let us grow and produce much fruit.