Tag: luke13:7

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 October – Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?- Luke 13:7

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 4:7-16, Psalms 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, Luke 13:1-9 and the Memorial of St Anthony Mary Claret CMF (1807-1870)

And he said to the vinedresser, “Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground? ” – Luke 13:7

REFLECTION – “The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, “Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.” The gardener intercedes.

This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now, with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down but the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how merciful he was and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. “Let us leave it,” he says, “this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.” Manure is a sign of humility. “Let us apply a load of manure, perhaps it may bear fruit.” Since it does bear fruit in one part and in another part does not bear fruit, it’s Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, “divide it?” There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body.” – St Augustine (354-430)Doctor of Grace – Sermon 254

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to keep my death constantly before my eyes, for this is my final account. I pray You for a holy life that my death may be holy and that I may come to You and live for all eternity with You. May each moment of my life bear abundant fruit for love of You. When my hour is come, bid me come to You, Lord. Hear the prayers of your Saints, Anthony Mary Claret, who lived each moment of his life for the glory of Your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – The fruitless tree

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel:  Luke 13:1-9 and the Memorial of Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711)

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’…Luke 13:7

REFLECTION – “The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, “Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it.   Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.”   The gardener intercedes.   This tree is the human race.   The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year.   He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year.   Here we are now, with the gospel the third year has dawned.   Now it is as though it should have been cut down but the Merciful One intercedes with the Merciful One.   He wanted to show how merciful He was and so He stood up to Himself with a plea for mercy.   “Let us leave it,” he says, “this year too.   Let us dig a ditch around it.”   Manure is a sign of humility. “Let us apply a load of manure, perhaps it may bear fruit.”   Since it does bear fruit in one part and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it.   What does that mean, “divide it”?   There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 254)luke-13-7-and-he-said-to-the-vinedresser-ST AUGUASTINE - 26 OCT 2019 THE LORD ALSO .jpg

PRAYER – Come to help us in our weakness, God of mercy, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ.   May the prayers of all your saints and we entreat Your servant, Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza to add his prayers on our behalf.   We make our prayer through Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.bl bonaventura of potenza pray for us 26 oct 2019

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HYPROCRISY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – The invincible patience of Jesus! 

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none.   And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure.”...Luke 13:7-8

REFLECTION – “Jesus invites us to change our heart, to make a radical about-face on the path of our lives, to abandon compromises with evil — and this is something we all do, hypocrisy…. I think that nearly all of us has a little hypocrisy — in order to decidedly take up the path of the Gospel.   But again there is the temptation to justify ourselves.   What should we convert from?   Aren’t we basically good people?   Unfortunately, each of us strongly resembles the tree that, over many years, has repeatedly shown that it’s infertile.   But, fortunately for us, Jesus is like a farmer who, with limitless patience, still obtains a concession for the fruitless vine.   The invincible patience of Jesus!   Have you thought about the patience of God?   Have you ever thought as well of His limitless concern for sinners?   How it should lead us to impatience with ourselves!   It’s never too late to convert, never.   God’s patience awaits us until the last moment.   It’s never too late to convert but it is urgent.   Now is the time!   Let us begin today.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 February 2016luke 13 7 the fruitless fig tree - unfortunately each of us - pope francis 24 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake.   Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by that same love.   We know His excuses for us and His broken heart at our neglect and sin, make us like unto Him O Father, that we might be holy and come to see His Face.   May the prayers of the angels, saints and the Blessed Virgin be of assistance to us.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen.ave-maria-pray-for-us-28-sept-2018 and 24 march 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B

“And he said to the vinedresser,
‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit
on this fig tree and I find none.
Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?”…Luke 13:7

Answering God’s call to repent at last

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Confessions Bk. 8

Those trifles of all trifles and vanities of vanities, my one-time mistresses, held me back, plucking at my garment of flesh and murmuring softly:  “Are you sending us away?”   And ” From this moment shall we not be with you, now or forever?”   And: ” From this moment shall this or that not be allowed you, now or forever?”   What were they suggesting to me, O my God?… I hesitated to shake them off and leap upwards on the way I was called, for the strong force of habit said to me:  “Do you think you can live without them?”   But by this time its voice was growing fainter.   In the direction towards which I had already turned my face and was quivering in fear of going, I could see the austere beauty of Continence honourably soliciting me to come to her and not linger, her hands full of multitudes of good examples…   “The Lord their God gave me to them.   Why do you rely on yourself and so fail to stand at all?   Cast yourself upon Him and do not be afraid, He will not draw back and let you fall.   Cast yourself on Him without fea,; He will receive you and heal you”…

This disputation within my heart was nothing other than a struggle between myself against myself… When my most searching scrutiny had drawn up all my vileness from the secret depths of my soul and heaped it in my heart’s sight, a mighty storm rose up in me bringing a mighty rain of tears.   In order to give release to my tears and lamentations, I got up and went out… I flung myself down somehow under a certain fig tree and no longer tried to check my tears, which poured from my eyes in a flood, an acceptable sacrifice to Thee.   And I spoke to You freely:   “And Thou, O Lord, how long? How long, Lord, will You be angry forever?   Remember not our former iniquities.” (Ps 6:4; 78:5)…  And I continued my miserable complaining:   “How long, how long shall I go on saying tomorrow and again tomorrow?   Why not now, why not this very hour?”

And suddenly I heard a voice from some nearby house, a boy’s voice or a girl’s voice, a sort of sing-song repeated again and again:  “Take and read, take and read.”   I stopped weeping and immediately began to search my mind most carefully as to whether children were accustomed to chant these words in any kind of game and I could not remember that I had ever heard any such thing.   Damming back my flood of tears I rose up again, interpreting the incident as quite certainly a divine command to open the book of the apostle Paul and read the first passage on which my eyes should fall…  I returned hastily and took up the book and read what I had seen before:  “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence,” (Rom 13:13).   I had no wish to read any further and no need.   For in that instant, with the very ending of the sentence, it was as though a light of utter confidence shone in my heart, and all the darkness of uncertainty vanished away.

St Augustine, Pray for Us!st augustine pray for us - 27 oct 2018

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL HOMILIES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’…Luke 13:7

REFLECTION – “Unfortunately, each of us strongly resembles the tree that, over many years, has repeatedly shown that it’s infertile.   But, fortunately for us, Jesus is like a farmer who, with limitless patience, still obtains a concession for the fruitless vine.   “Let it alone this year” the invincible patience of Jesus!   Have you thought about the patience of God?   Have you ever thought as well of His limitless concern for sinners?   How it should lead us to impatience with ourselves!   It’s never too late to convert, never.   God’s patience awaits us until the last moment.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 February 2016luke 13 7 - and he said to the vinedresser - unfortunately each of us strongly resembles the tree - pope francis 27 oct 2018

PRAYER – Come to help us in our weakness, God of mercy, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ.   We make our prayer through Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.bl mother of our lord pray for us - 27 oct 2018