Dear friends in Christ, the Lord give you peace. As we gather on this Holy Tuesday, we continue our journey through Holy Week, reflecting on the profound events of our Lord’s last week before His resurrection. Yesterday, we witnessed the cleansing of the temple, where Jesus confronted the corruption that had seeped into the heart of worship. Today, we revisit a particular scene involving a fig tree, a moment that captures the essence of authenticity in faith.
As Jesus and His apostles walk back toward Jerusalem, Saint Peter notices the same fig tree that had been cursed the previous day. It had promised fruit, yet it remained barren. This tree symbolizes not just the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, but also a warning to us today. Just as the tree appeared lush and alive, many of us can easily fall into the trap of presenting a façade of righteousness while neglecting the true nourishment of our faith—the fruits of love, charity, and genuine worship.
In our first reading from Isaiah, we hear a prophecy of a servant, one who is made a shining light to the nations. This servant is called from his mother’s womb, entrusted with a mission that extends beyond mere local interests. The servant embodies the very essence of what it means to be fruitful, to bring others back to God and to shine forth His glory. Jesus is, of course, that servant par excellence—a humble figure whose power lies in His suffering love.
Isaiah shows how the mission of Christ encompasses all of humanity. He is a beacon of hope, and it is through Him that salvation reaches to the ends of the earth. Similar to the fig tree, which had the potential for fruitfulness but failed to deliver, we too are often called to bear fruit in our own lives. How do we respond to this calling?
The fig tree’s foliage is not merely an indicator of the fruit hidden beneath, but rather it also acts as the fruit’s protector. God gives us the fruit. We often speak of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Any good we do, is for his glory and it is due to the initial grace he has placed in our hearts. We depend on him to be able to do good, and then we also rely on him to protect those gifts he has given so that they can continue to bear fruit. In our psalm today, this is beautifully expressed: “In you, O LORD, I take refuge.” God is like that beautiful foliage which shelters what is good within us from being attacked and spoiled. Yet, we need to cooperate with him to that end. The psalmist's call is one of trust—a trust we see embodied in our Lord and echoed in the Last Supper. Here, as recorded in John’s Gospel, Jesus reveals His inner turmoil as He prepares for betrayal. Peter, eager and bold, proclaims his readiness to lay down his life for the Lord, yet Jesus forewarns him of his impending denial.
This interaction brings to light the tensions within our own hearts. How often do we promise devotion and commitment, only to falter under pressure? Jesus knows
Peter's heart, just as He knows ours. He sees our struggles, our aspirations, and our failures. Our challenge is to ensure that we are not merely appearing to be faithful like the leafy fig tree, but truly nurturing a heart that seeks to align itself with God’s will – and in Peter’s denial we see our own struggle to live up to that ideal. That is why we need to remember, we are a continual work in progress, each and every one of us. We need to be humble enough to accept that it will take time. Like married couples who slowly build something beautiful together through thick and thin, throughout many years, so too is the soul with God.
As we reflect on these themes, let us remember that Holy Week calls us deeper into the mystery of our Creator’s love for us. Jesus invites us to examine our own lives because he loves us: Are we producing the fruits of the Spirit? Are we sincerely nurturing our relationship with Him?
The call to authenticity is for each of us in our daily lives. Let us pray for the grace to be genuine in our faith, for the courage to follow Christ, and for the strength to support one another as we journey through this Holy Week. Amen.
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Humility is key to enter God Kingdom. Test it is humbling to admit we can not without Jesus help achieve it. Thank you Jesus. I pray that you help us all become humble. So we can all be with you in your Kingdom. AAAamen