You're listening to I Pray with the Gospel on the St. Jose Maria Institute podcast.

In the name of the Father and of the, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me.

I adore you with profound reverence.

Ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My immaculate mother, St. Joseph, my father,

and Lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me. The Feast of St. John Paul II, a reading from the

Gospel of Luke, chapter 13. Jesus told this parable. A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

And he said to the vine dresser, 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?

And he answered him, let it alone it alone sir this year also till i dig about it and put on manure if it bears fruit next year well and good but if not you can cut it down

nothing was missing from the tree. Sunlight, soil, water, care, except fruit.

It had everything it needed to give fruit except determination.

It decided to produce leaves, to grow and give shade, but no more than that.

It wanted all the advantages of being in the vineyard without all the responsibilities

that were expected of it.

We wanted to do part of it, but not everything.

Our Lord also has been patient with us.

If we don't give the fruit that he expects from us, he prunes us like a tree, although unlike a tree we find this painful, and he gives us more graces, fertilizer, so that we can start bearing fruit.

Because he chose us to give fruit, fruit of holiness, and we have all we need to bear that fruit.

No one else can be blamed for my lack of holiness.

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