Good morning good people!
May the Lord give you peace, health and happiness in the Holy Spirit on the Third Week of the Lent.
It is 23rd March 2025.
Are we feeding in or weeding out?
St. John Paul II encourages us, “True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it means an effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school, and at work.”
Yes, God is working extra for us to be fruitful. Postponing our conversion is indeed choosing to be spiritually impotent. Testing God’s patience does not help us become fruitful, but patiently working through our hard surfaces, unproductive mindsets, and hardened hearts allows us to be nourished by God.
We all need to make a decision that affects the rest of our lives. The call of Moses, mentioned in the first reading, suggests that God calls us by name to empower us.
God is not tired of looking for fruits in our lives, just as the gardener came year after year seeking fruit. Bearing fruit is the prerequisite of our faithfulness in loving God.
Jesus does not condemn anyone for being a sinner, but He expects us to change.
The orchard is the world, the owner is God, each tree is a Christian, the gardener is Jesus, and the barren tree is the unproductive believer. The three years represent the three years of Jesus’ public ministry; others suggest they symbolize the Law, the Prophets, and Christ. The number three represents fullness.
God wants all of us to be fruitful. He wishes us to leave behind our sins. God does not condone sin but tolerates it so that we may truly repent.
Untimely death reminds us that, no matter what, everyone must face the reality of death—whether good or bad. Even Jesus was not exempt from suffering and pain. It is not how we die but how we live those matters. “Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” Tragedies, loss, and death are not punishments from God. Jesus corrects the mindset of the people and teaches that our repentance is the fruitfulness God expects from us.
The barren fig tree reminds us that God is patient with us, desiring that we become fruitful. However, God’s warnings must not be ignored. We are given ample opportunity to change and repent.
A seminarian asked a priest, “Why don’t I see the fruits of my faith?” The priest pointed to a grapevine, saying, “It doesn’t bear fruit instantly. It needs pruning, care, and time.” “Stay close to God and be faithful in small things. In His time, you will bear fruit—not for yourself, but for His glory.”
As we reach the halfway point in Lent, we must go beyond merely examining our consciences—we must take decisive action to change for the better. We cannot stop the evil around us. By blaming God for human wrongdoing, we gain nothing.
Our crucial work for the third week of Lent is to nurture our faith through actions that bear fruit. “Sir, let it alone for one more year until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”
May God help us to tend our lives so that we may bear fruit for all. May God bless you.