It is 22nd October 2016. We celebrate the memorial of St. John Paul II., the Pope. He served the church as the Pontiff for 27 years. He wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people. In the last years of his life, he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. He is the patron of the World Youth Days. The present Pope Francis canonized him in 2014. The readings are from Ephesians 4:7-16; and the Gospel from Luke 13:1-9. St. Paul invites us to have unity in diversity. We all have gifts varying from one another to share it for the building up the body of Christ. “Living the truth in, we should grow in every way into Christ, who is the head, from whom the whole Body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” (Eph.4:16). We are all invited to mature spiritually and sharing the gift with the Church. Do we know our gifts? If we know our gifts, then what stops us to find opportunities to serve the Church? The church is truly in need of our gifts however small and insignificant it may look. The responsorial Psalm sings, “I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.” (Ps.121:1). In the Gospel, Jesus repeatedly visiting our lives to find whether we are fruitful spiritually. The punishment is inevitable when we have decided not bear fruits. The gardener is not to be blamed for the lack of cooperation from us. It is God’s mercy has given us not only a second chance but innumerable chances to be fruitful. The justice of God will demand fruits from our lives. May we be not disappoint our God by being fruitless. “If does bear fruit next year, then you can cut it down.” (Lk.13:9). May you have a good day.