Its not enough to just “believe in God” - God expects us to act!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus uses a fig tree to teach his apostles…The tree was not bearing fruit, so Christ cursed the tree and as a result, it died - What should that teach us?….”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……….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”……What is Jesus trying to teach us? - Let’s “break it down” - Each of us has gifts, some more then others, but that reality is irrelevant - The gifts we were given are to be used to build the Kingdom of God…..Not to keep for ourself - God gave us gifts for a reason!….And those who have been given much - Much will be expected……When we stand before the Lord at our individual judgement, not only will our sins be brought to light, but also all the good we did - But here is something else that will be shown to us (I believe) - God will show us what was COULD have done - If we trusted him more!…..Every single baptized Catholic, without exception was born to become a saint!…..And if we allow God to animate our life, He will take the gifts he gave to us and magnify them!….What stops us from giving God permission to work in this way through us?….FEAR - A lack of faith - Unrepentant sin - A weak interior life - All these factors contribute to us not becoming the people we were ALL born to be - Its within our power to address this sadly reality!……All we have to do is give an unconditioned YES like Our Lady did….And God will act!……The Gospel today also addresses a misconception that Jesus is simply looking for “believers” - That all we have to do, to get to heaven is “believe in Jesus” - WRONG! - Jesus is looking for followers not just “believers”…Its our job to follow him! - And to follow him means we act! - St James put it best - “Faith without works is dead”…And Jesus puts an “exclamation point” on that idea with the story today told to us about the fig tree that did not bear fruit - A fig tree without figs is useless! - Such a tree had one purpose - To produce figs and it failed in doing so - So it died…Again - What does that tell us about the purpose of a Catholic life? - If we “bear fruit” we live and if we do not - We die!….Seems pretty clear to me

“I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord”

Not everyone is meant to do “big things” but all of us can do “little things” with love in our hearts…..If we only lived life through this lens!…..Our world measures people by “output” - Its concerned with status and material success - God does not view our worth in this manner, however God does expect us to use what was given to us to build the Kingdom of God…..As we all know, there are many people in the world who are infinitely gifted - Are those “gifted” people using their gifts to serve God? - Some are but many are not….Then there are some who are very limited in their gifts - And they give everything they have to God…Who do you think will be rewarded in the coming judgement more?………Years ago, it was a Saturday and I was headed to New York City to serve with Mother Teresa’s Sisters at their convent in Lower Manhattan….When I got to the convent, three of the sisters were headed out the door….I asked them where they were going…..They told me they were going to clean the apartment of this old woman who lived in a tenement apartment down the street…The old woman’s name was Sarah and she did not take very good care of herself, so the sisters would “check up” on her from time to time…..So that after noon, three nuns spent the day cleaning the apartment of an old woman and doing all her laundry…..I will never forget that gesture! - Why? - Because who does that? - No one I know!!!!….Its such a small gesture but I am sure that old poor woman appreciated it….But when we step back and think about what Mother Teresa’s Sisters did for that woman, it was much more then just cleaning her apartment - They showed her that they cared!….That is a lesson for us all - As Catholics, we have all of the “answers” - The Church contains the Fullness of Truth - But just telling people about it will not convince them - We must show them and we show them by small gestures of love, which anyone can do - Like cleaning an apartment for someone who can’t clean it for themselves….People do not care what you know, until they know how much you care! - Remember that - And this is the “currency” that God “deals in”…..Those who have been given much - Much will be expected….As Mother Teresa would often say - “If you can’t feed one hundred people - Then just feed one”……This is how we will be judged by the way - So “write this down” - Its on the “final exam”

“Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy”

Today at Mass Jesus attempted to teach his friends by pointing out something very basic - A tree is meant to bear fruit…And just as a fig tree is meant to bear fruit, so are we as Catholics meant to put our faith into action and produce good works…Not everyone is meant to do “big things” but all of us can do little things that come from our heart - And that is all God expects from us!…But how do we live our life through that lens? - And not get “distracted” by daily life?…Allow me to give you the answer to that question - If we can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - We surely will see Jesus in our neighbor - And in turn we will treat our neighbor as ourself…..If you are reading this reflection and do not believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist - I have a suggestion to make…..Go into a Church where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar in the monstrance for the faithful to pray….You do not even have to be Catholic to do what I am about to suggest - Go before the Blessed Sacrament and say these word….”God, if you are there show me that you are there - I do not believe that you are there - But I want to believe - So please show me”….Say nothing more and just sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament…Repeat that action once a week and spend five minutes in silence before the Blessed Sacrament - Simple Right?!?…..Make this apart of your weekly routine - Its just five minutes - Right?!?….Here is my “bet”- In fact, it’s a guarantee!….Before you know it, God will answer your prayer - And you will be given “eyes to see”….How do I know what? - Because Jesus said so! - ”Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”…..Once we “see God” Sacramentally, we will see him in our neighbor and then we will put our faith into action….Its not enough to just “believe in God” - God expects us to act!…………..JMJ