By Christina Semmens

“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…” ~ Luke 13:6

For the Place You Stand Is Holy Ground

This Sunday’s first reading is the story of Moses and the burning bush. When Moses approaches, God tells him, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”  

When was the last time you removed your shoes in God’s presence?

Probably been a while, eh?

Moses removed his shoes because he became aware that he was in God’s presence. Whenever we encounter God, we need to be mindful that the place we stand is holy ground. Maybe it’s during a walk outside in nature, at the Adoration chapel, or during the Mass. Perhaps it’s at the dinner table or during a conversation with a friend.

Wherever it is, we need to “remove our shoes” by acting so that the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, and gentleness—are present in our lives.  

The Lord is Kind and Merciful

Unfortunately, we don’t always “remove our shoes,” do we?

Rather, we act selfishly and without reverence towards God or one another. As a result, we might find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by our sinfulness.   

But Psalm 103 tells us we have nothing to fear because the Lord is kind and merciful.  He pardons our iniquities, heals all our ills, redeems us from destruction, and crowns us with kindness and compassion.

This knowledge should encourage us in our journey to draw close to our Lord, but we should not become complacent either.

This is Saint Paul’s message to the Corinthians, that even though we might be eating the same spiritual food and drinking the same spiritual drink, we must not desire evil things, or we will fall, and God will not be pleased with us.

If You Do Not Repent, You Will Perish

This message of Saint Paul echoes Christ’s words in the Gospel.

Jesus taught that if we do not repent, then we will perish—just like others before us have.  

So, during this season of Lent, what can give us hope?

The Lord’s kindness and mercy.

In the parable of the fig tree, we discover that for three years, the tree has borne no fruit, and the person who planted it wonders why the tree should exhaust the soil.  The gardener intervenes for the fig tree and proposes that the tree be given another year so it may bear fruit in the future.

In this parable, we are the fig tree, and Jesus is the gardener.

And when we repent, we allow Jesus to cultivate our souls and fertilize our hearts so that we have a chance to bear fruit in the future.

Repentance can be challenging. And when we set aside evil ways, it can be very painful.

Like the pain of being pruned.

But the reality is that after a plant is pruned, the growth that results afterward is absolutely amazing.

So, this Lent, trust in the Lord’s kindness and mercy and repent. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your mercy and kindness as I struggle to draw closer to you. Help me learn to set aside all evil things so that I may not fall from your grace. May I repent of my hardness of heart during this Lenten season so that I may not exhaust the soil of your holy ground but instead bear rich and abundant fruit.

Call to Action

Resolve to repent of any evil thing keeping you from bearing fruit in your life right now by going to the sacrament of Reconciliation. Make sure to ask the Lord to strengthen you with His kindness and compassion so you will discover the truth of what the Psalmist writes, “He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills, redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion.”  

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