First Reading - Romans 8:1-11
Gospel - Luke 13:1-9
We live in a world that constantly demands results. Whether it’s in our work, studies, or relationships, we often measure value by productivity — by what we achieve or produce. Yet, in the spiritual life, God’s concern is not with mere performance but with fruitfulness — the kind that grows from a heart transformed by His Spirit. Today’s readings invite us to reflect on what it truly means to bear fruit that lasts.
In the first reading, St. Paul contrasts two ways of living: life according to the flesh and life according to the Spirit. To live according to the flesh means to be dominated by selfish desires, pride, and fear — a way of life that leads to frustration and death. But to live according to the Spirit is to allow God’s presence to guide and renew us from within. When the Spirit dwells in us, we experience freedom, peace, and the power to overcome sin. The Christian life, then, is not about trying harder by our own strength but about allowing the Spirit to bear fruit through us — fruits of love, joy, patience, and mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that produces no fruit. The owner wants to cut it down, but the gardener pleads for one more year — time to nurture, to dig around it, and to give it another chance. This is an image of God’s mercy. He is patient with us, giving us time to grow, to change, and to bear fruit. But it also carries a gentle warning: time is a gift, not to be wasted. God’s patience calls for our response. We cannot remain stagnant, content with a faith that does not transform our lives.
Dear friends, God desires fruit, not just leaves. He wants a living faith — one that moves beyond words into deeds of compassion, forgiveness, and service. Each of us has been given grace and time, not for comfort or complacency, but for growth in holiness. The Spirit within us is always ready to break through whatever hardness or barrenness may have taken root.
We bear fruit when we forgive those who have hurt us, when we lift up the weary, when we speak truth with love, and when we allow our daily actions — even the small ones — to reflect God’s kindness. Conversion is not a single moment but a daily process of saying “yes” to the Spirit and “no” to whatever keeps us distant from God.
God has not given up on any of us. Like the patient gardener, He continues to nurture, guide, and believe in our potential to bear good fruit. But He also calls us to cooperate with His grace — to make space for His Spirit, to prune away what is lifeless, and to live with purpose.
Let us, then, take this moment as an invitation to renewal. Let us open our hearts to the Spirit who gives life, trusting that God can bring fruit even from the dry soil of our failures. For when we live by the Spirit, our lives become not only fruitful but also a beautiful reflection of the God who never stops cultivating hope within us.
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