When he was going back to the city in the morning, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again.” And immediately the fig tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said, “How was it that the fig tree withered immediately?”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Matthew 21:18-22
In Old Testament times, the fig tree depicted God’s people. The fruit was symbolic of the faithfulness of God’s people. And so it is with us today. Much faithfulness yields much fruit for God. No faith in Jesus yields no fruit, only thorns and thistles.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5
The Land Owner is hungry and checks on his fig tree for fruit. If the right ingredients are there, good soil, abundant sunshine and rain, we could see how the Land Owner would be delighted to find the fig trees in his orchard are producing good fruit.
Let it be no surprise that a lone fig tree outside the orchard isn’t producing good fruit.
Woe to the soul that does not have Christ to cultivate it with care to produce the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Left to itself, it is choked with thorns and thistles; instead of fruit it produces only what is fit for burning. – St. Macarius
If you thought of yourself as a fig tree planted somewhere in the orchard of the Land Owner, how much fruit do you feel you are producing? Are you planted on good soil? Yes you are. Are you getting abundant sunshine and rain in your life? Will the Land Owner walk up to you one day hungry for fruit? What will he find?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. Matthew 3:8
The cursing of the fig tree by Jesus is indirectly symbolic of God’s judgment on the temple and temple authorities for not producing good fruit. It is also symbolic of God’s judgment on Israel for failure to be faithful to God in loyalty and righteousness.
Thus, it is also indirectly symbolic of God’s judgment on the unfaithful.
And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. [So] cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ Luke 13:6-7
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Is living in sin among godless thorns and thistles the new norm for today’s culture? What happened to the unfruitful fig tree represents what will happen to an unfruitful nation and its temple.
I will send upon them sword, famine, and pestilence, until they have disappeared from the land which I gave them and their ancestors. Jeremiah 24:10
Sacrament of Confession anyone? Yes, please. May God’s sanctifying grace be restored in our penitent hearts through the holy sacrament give to us by God in his Church.
In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide you from myself, not myself from you. – St. Augustine
Confess sins. Do Penance. Amend Life. Repeat.
Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13
I recently watched a documentary on a devout priest, Father Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF. Well, I will confess to you here I have actually watched this documentary film (available on Formed.org) several times because the unwavering faith of this blessed priest inspires me. I told my Uncle that if St. Padre Pio was a bottle of Coke, Father Aloysius was bottle of Diet Coke. Fr. Aloysius was truly a holy man.
Your gardens my dear brothers and sisters, your gardens are beautiful gardens of God. He is very pleased with you, and so, you are as good gardeners, of the garden of God that is your soul through the sanctifying grace, through all the virtues that are growing in this mystical garden of your soul. And, in order that our garden be well pleased to be the delight of Christ we must do our level best all these days. And, any fault that we notice in ourselves, to pluck it out without any compassion to ourselves. – Father Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF
Whoah! You have to be a saint just to think like that. But that is who Father Aloysius was. One thing that stood out to me while watching the documentary (which I thought was well made) was that Fr. Aloysius was always in prayer.
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
You don’t have to necessarily be kneeling at the foot of your bed or in a church pew to be praying. You can be praying while standing, walking, driving etc.
That is what Fr. Aloysius did.
Prayer is nothing else but union with God. – St. John Vianney
Not only did Fr. pray to God, but he also prayed much to the Blessed Mother, the saints and even the angels. In fact, Father prayed so much for the intercession of the angels and saints, the name of the film is titled, “The Angel of Biscay.” Of course, the stories and accounts about Fr. Aloysius in the documentary are astounding. He was man of many miracles, but most importantly, he was a man of faith and a priest of God.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Daniel 3:84-87
You see, we’re all in God’s garden together. He is the Creator. We are the created. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. And we are the fig trees in the garden of God. Do we have faith in Jesus? Are we his delight with the way we choose to live our lives?
Lord, my God, teach me your ways
– Make me live by the light of your truth
We can learn a lesson from the holy priest, Fr. Aloysius. To be fruitful in Christ is to walk with him throughout our day and throughout our lives.
You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice
and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
To be fruitful in Christ is to be confident that our prayers are being heard in heaven.
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22
To be fruitful in Christ is to be faithful to the Lord with unyielding love for Jesus, for ourselves and love for one another, even those who hate us.
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44
Pluck away the vices. Prune out the deceitful weeds of selfishness. May our humility and good deeds find growth in God our Creator. May our souls be the delight of Jesus, and may the Lord’s sanctifying grace shine through our hearts, shine through our Church, and shine forth ahead of us along our journey through this world.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path Psalms 119:105