October 22, Saturday - Memorial of the St John Paul II
Gospel Lk 10: 1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them–
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“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,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
Reflections
Jesus is everready to give a chance to repent. In today's Gospel too, it is clear by his giving the example of the fig tree .It was not bearing fruit, and still Jesus suggested that it be given a chance. Scripturally the fig tree represents the people of Israel, who were not accepting Jesus as the Messiah. In Indian context, the fig tree, has sacred connotation, as Buddha was sitting under the sacred fig tree, when he received enlightenment. So there is something special here -- there is wisdom, a special grace, call to be patient.
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