HOMILY FOR 8TH FRIDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A.
HOMILY FOR 8TH FRIDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A.
HOMILY THEME: LOOKING BEYOND THE LEAVES!
BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
1 Pet 4:7-13; Psalm 95(96):10-13; Mark 11:11-26
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, have you ever seen a tree that looked green and healthy from far away, but when you got close, it had absolutely no fruit? Or have you ever met someone who seemed very religious on the outside, but was cold and unkind on the inside?
Today’s readings are a gentle but honest reality check for our souls. They remind us that God does not care about outward appearances.
He wants to see real, living faith in our lives. Jesus and Saint Peter both show us that looking good on the outside is not enough. True faith means having a heart full of prayer, love, and forgiveness.
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From Our Gospel Reading
In the Gospel today, we see Jesus do something very surprising: He curses a fig tree because it has no fruit. In fig trees, leaves and fruit usually grow at the same time. So, when Jesus saw a tree covered in green leaves, it was promising that there was food inside. But when He got close, there was nothing. The tree looked good, but it was empty.
Right after this, Jesus goes into the Temple in Jerusalem. From the outside, the Temple looked amazing. It was busy, beautiful, and full of religious activities. It was covered in “leaves.” But when Jesus looked closely, He found an empty space. Instead of a quiet place where all people could come to pray, it had become a noisy marketplace where people were cheating the poor.
Jesus was angry at both the fig tree and the Temple for the exact same reason: they were faking it. They looked religious, but they were not doing God’s work. Jesus is reminding us today that He is not impressed by how many church activities we do or how good we look to others. He is looking for real fruit in our lives
From Our First Reading
What is this fruit? Saint Peter tells us clearly in the first reading:
“The end of all things is near. So, be serious and keep your minds clear so that you can pray. Most of all, love each other deeply, because love hides many sins.”
The fruit Jesus wants to see in us is alert prayer, helping others without complaining, using our talents to serve, and most importantly, a deep love that forgives.
This brings us back to the end of the Gospel. After the disciples see the fig tree wither and die, Jesus teaches them about the incredible power of prayer. He says faith can move mountains! But then He gives one very important rule for prayer:
“When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them. Then your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”
The Temple failed because it lacked love and fairness. In the same way, our prayers will dry up if we hold onto anger. We cannot ask God for blessings with one hand while holding a grudge against a neighbor with the other.
What We Learn
God Looks at the Heart: We can fool other people by acting polite and religious, but Jesus comes close to see if we actually practice love and kindness when no one is watching.
Prayer Needs Forgiveness: If we want our prayers to be powerful, we must let go of bitterness. Forgiveness keeps our spiritual lives healthy.
Our Blessings Are Given to Help Others: Our time, talents, and strength belong to God. We should use them to serve the people around us, not just ourselves.
Conclusion
My friends, this season of Ordinary Time is a time for us to grow. Today, Jesus is looking at the tree of our lives. He isn’t looking at how pretty our leaves are; He is looking for love, humility, and forgiveness.
Let us clear out any anger, pride, or judgment from our hearts today. Let us choose to love deeply, pray sincerely, and forgive quickly. When we do this, we can be sure that whenever Jesus looks into our hearts, He will find a beautiful harvest of good fruit.
Final Friday Blessings
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe this Friday.
May He give you a peaceful mind and a heart ready to pray.
May the Holy Spirit give you the strength to forgive anyone who has hurt you, and fill your heart with deep love.
And as you go into this weekend, may you share God’s kindness and joy with everyone you meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Have a Blessed Friday!
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