In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree in a vineyard. It is striking that the owner has planted it among his vines, and so when it fails to bear fruit he considers cutting it down so that it does not “use up the ground” meant for the vine.
When we are called into the Church, we are like fig trees in a vineyard: we have no right to be there – our presence is a grace. And if we do not bear fruit in charity, we are not only harming ourselves but also depriving others who might otherwise bear fruit: we are “using up the ground”. Do I ever consider that the place I take in the church pew – or seat on the sanctuary – might be used better by another?
