Welcome to our Rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

On Monday morning of Holy Week, Jesus returned from Bethany, and as he passed by Bethphage,

seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it and found nothing on it but leaves and he said to it may

you never bear fruit again and in that instant the fig tree withered and died.

Could you imagine being the apostles watching Jesus walk up,

look at this tree, curse it and the thing just withers and dies right in front?

You might be thinking Jesus is having a really bad day.

But the fig tree is a prophetic sign that helps us understand what's going on here on Monday of Holy Week.

Now we know that Jesus spent Sunday evening at Bethany in the home of his friends Martha,

marrying Lazarus. And what do you suppose Martha did for Jesus?

Well, she made a big feast for him, of course.

So when Jesus curses the fig tree Monday morning

for not bearing fruit, it can't be because he's dying of hunger.

What was the problem with the fig tree?

It wasn't doing what it was supposed to. Oh, it was busy, all right, busy making leaves, but it wasn't bearing fruit.

That's the problem. The fig tree is a sign of the Jewish people, the chosen people.

They weren't bearing the fruit that God had asked for. Our Father who art in heaven, hallow would be your name.

Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us to stay our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those

who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil,

amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

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