Have Faith in God by Beth DeCristofaro
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Now
will I praise those godly men,
our ancestors, each in his own time.
But of others there is no memory,
for when they ceased, they ceased.
(Sirach 44:1, 9)
(Jesus) was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it. They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. … Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. (Mark 11:12-15, 21-22)
Piety
Peace Within
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.[i]
Study
Having a bad day can be tedious; when a colleague is cranky, the printer jams, one is late for a client meeting, and coffee spills all over your briefcase, it can feel like the universe is against you! In this Gospel, one might think Jesus is having a bad day and reacting out of his frustration. Yet here we see Jesus seeing Truth in the “bad” moments and teaching us. Jesus tells us that faith in God bears fruitfulness in God.
Often, we see plants as symbols in Scripture; a bush burning in Genesis, the mustard seed growing large in the Gospels, cedar, olive trees, and of course, Jesus as the vine. In Jeremiah and Micah, a fig tree symbolized Israel. In this reading, The tree’s lack of produce points to the absence of vibrancy and fruitfulness of the Chosen People. Look at the juxtaposition of the tree without fruit and the “liveliness” of the Temple. The Temple is full of people, bustling with prayer, presumably, but also commerce. The focus is not on producing spiritual fruit. Jesus rejects this bustling emptiness like he rejects the tree, grown green but not with life-giving fruit.
(Jesus) was hungry. The tree disappointed him as did the temple leaders and the moneylenders. His relationship with the Father sustained him but he wished to share it with all humanity. Our hunger, too, is our longing for God. But our life can also be life-giving for others when we live as friends of Christ.
Action
Jesus’ words about the power of prayer are a powerful reminder that when we remain in God (John’s Gospel readings from last week) we will not “cease.” God’s love and mercy supersede our weaknesses. God will not blast us like the fig tree, but we can blast ourselves by our own choices, which might generate pretty leaves but no nourishment for a hungry world.
In what way am I producing fruit? Might I become more fruitful, nourishing and revitalizing? Prayerfully I ask for the grace to have ever more life-giving faith in God.
Illustration: https://www.britannica.com/plant/fig
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