Today’s Gospel narrates the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree which the owner of the vineyard wants to cut down due to lack of fruits. The owner is entirely justified in his frustration. For three years, he has come looking for fruit and found nothing. The tree is simply exhausting the nutrients of the soil. By all accounts of strict justice, it deserves to be cut down.
But then, the gardener steps into the space between judgment and execution, pleading, “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.”
Divine Mercy
This phrase—“leave it for this year also”—, for me, is a beautiful summary of Divine Mercy. Every single one of us is currently living in that “one more year.” The time we are granted is not an entitlement or a guarantee of tomorrow. It is a gracious extension of God’s patience, secured for us by Christ, our Divine Gardener, who constantly intercedes on our behalf as the Mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5).
Cultivation
Yet, this “one more year” is not an excuse for complacency. The gardener, after securing a one more year of grace, does not just leave the tree alone; he digs around it and enriches the soil. Christ is at work in our lives through the Church. When our lives become spiritually barren, He begins the necessary work of cultivation. He breaks up the hard crust of our stubbornness through life’s trials and nourishes our souls through the Eucharist and the Sacraments.
Let us look honestly at the soil of our souls. God’s patience is vast, but it is meant for our conversion. Let us stop delaying our repentance and allow the Divine Gardener to dig deep into our hearts today, so we may finally bring forth the rich fruits of love, humility, and holiness.
