HOMILY OF 8TH FRIDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY OF 8TH FRIDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: HAVE FAITH IN GOD
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany he 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. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.
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Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. 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. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
The Gospel today is already the final part of Mark’s gospel. Jesus and His disciples have reached Jerusalem. Since it was already late, they proceeded to the nearby village of Bethany. The next day, after leaving Bethany for Jerusalem, Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree along the road, hoping to get some fruits. But He found none. So He cursed it: “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” The next day, they all saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Jesus knew it was not the season for figs. He also knew, therefore, that He cannot find fruits in it. So, why curse it? He is not being unreasonable, however. The whole incident was meant to be a parable that He used to teach the disciples a lesson they cannot forget.
The fig tree without fruit represents the Jewish people, the Chosen People of God, who were too serious about the external observances of the laws and rituals of worship, but without fruits of holiness and good works. This is further illustrated in the action of Jesus in the Temple. In His righteous anger, He drove out all merchants in the Temple. Instead of being a ‘house of prayer for all peoples’, the Jews have transformed it into a ‘den of thieves.’
Jesus comes to us looking for fruits in our lives, that is, fruits of holiness, good works and mercy. The English Benedictine monk, St. Bede, also known as Venerable Bede, exhorts us “to guard against becoming a fruitless tree, in order to offer Jesus, who has become poor, the fruit that He needs.”
To become fruitful, there are two important things in our life that we need to balance: prayer and work, interior life and active apostolate. In the first place, a healthy and fruitful prayer life must be accompanied by practical deeds of service to others. As St. Josemaria Escrivá, said, “Love means deeds, not sweet words.” And he explains: “The danger of deeds done without interior life has been emphasized, but we should also underline the danger of an interior life – if such could exist – without deeds.”
Such is what happened to the Jews, especially the scribes and Pharisees, in the time of Jesus. They emphasize even the minutest ritual detail and the meticulous observance of the external prescriptions of the law. But they disregard the spirit of the law, which is charity. So, they do not give serious attention to the needs of other people. They are definitely like the fig tree, full of green leaves but without fruits.
On the other hand, however, we must also be careful not to fall into the trap of the other side: activism. This is the tendency to be engrossed in many kinds of activities, presumably to help others, but without a deep prayer life. It is purely human activity, without any spiritual orientation, hence, fruitless and impotent.
In short, prayer without good deeds is fruitless; work without prayer is sterile and ineffective. St. Teresa of Kolkata concludes: “It is not possible to engage in the direct apostolate without being a soul of prayer. We must be aware of oneness with Christ, as He was aware of oneness with His Father. Our activity is truly apostolic only insofar as we permit Him to work in us and through us with His power, with His desire, with His love.”
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