Posted on 05/28/2026 10:50:38 PM PDT by fidelis
Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Mark 11:20–21
The prophets often used the image of a barren fig tree to symbolize Israel’s fruitless spirituality (cf. Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 8:13). Though they were God’s chosen people, with whom God established His Covenant, time and moral decay led to a fruitless spirituality. Despite their outward observance of the Law, their hearts were far from God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus was hungry as He left Bethany and journeyed toward Jerusalem. Along the way, He saw a fig tree from a distance with leaves, so He went to it to pick a fig to eat, but He found none. He immediately said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” (Mark 11:14). This was a prophetic action. The green tree symbolized the outward appearance of the people of Israel and especially the religious leaders, who appeared righteous but bore no fruit of genuine faith, repentance, or divinely inspired charity.
After arriving at the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus drove out those buying and selling, overturning the tables of the moneychangers who were desecrating the sacredness of the Temple. As He did so, He recalled the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah: “Is it not written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17; cf. Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11). Just as the barren fig tree symbolized fruitless spirituality, the cleansing of the temple revealed the corruption of worship that failed to honor God. Both acts were prophetic judgments against the emptiness of external religiosity, warning that God desires not outward appearances but true worship and spiritual fruitfulness from the heart.
The next morning, on their way back to Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples passed by the fig tree Jesus had cursed. To their amazement, it had “withered to its roots.” This sign of judgment sparked a conversation between Jesus and His disciples in which He taught them about the connection between faith, prayer, and forgiveness: “Have faith in God...believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours…When you...pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance…” (Mark 11:22; 24–25). Faith in God, combined with humble prayer and forgiveness, is the key to spiritual fruitfulness...
We are the temples Jesus wants to cleanse today. Just as Jesus cast out corruption from the temple, so must we allow Him to cast out the sin and spiritual barriers within us that hinder true worship. Forgiveness is an essential part of this cleansing, as it removes the obstacles that block our prayers and relationships with God. True prayer flows from faith that trusts completely in God’s power and from hearts that forgive without reservation. When our focus shifts from self-interest to the love of God and service of others, our lives become fruitful for the Kingdom.
Reflect today on your soul as the new temple Jesus wants to cleanse. There is incredible potential for each one of us to bear an abundance of good fruit for His Kingdom. Begin by forgiving everyone from your heart. Then, approach prayer with faith that trusts God’s providence and seeks His will. Let your worship be sincere—not for appearances or routine, but out of love for God and a desire for His Kingdom to grow. Fidelity to prayer and forgiveness will transform your life into one of fruitfulness and grace, leading you to the abundant life of His Kingdom.
My Lord, the source of all abundant good fruit, You desire to cleanse my soul of every sin and obstacle that hinders true worship. You call me to a life of deep prayer, grounded in faith and forgiveness. Purify me, and use me to bear an abundance of good fruit for Your Kingdom. Make me a pure and holy child of true worship. Jesus, I trust in You.
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The Month of May is Dedicated to Devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.
“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:41-43)
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of May, 2026:
That everyone might have food
Let us pray that everyone, from large producers to small consumers, be committed to avoid wasting food, and to ensure that everyone has access to quality food.
Today’s First Reading
From: 1 Peter 4:7-13
A call for charity
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[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. [8] Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. [10] As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace; [11] whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies: in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The Christian meaning of suffering
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[12] Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
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Commentary:
1-6. The Apostle continues his exposition, possibly following the pattern of baptismal instruction. Christians have to identify with Christ, dead and risen: they have died with him, to rise with him (cf. Rom 6:3); their lives can no longer be the way they were before Baptism, even if the change of lifestyle results in their being misunderstood and reviled. They should remember that they will in due course appear before the Judge of the living and the dead, Jesus Christ.
"Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin" (v. 1): this looks like a legal adage, meaning that one who has suffered the pain of death has paid for all his crimes (cf. Rom 6:7). St Peter would have adapted it to give it a theological meaning: Christians, by dying mystically with Christ in Baptism, have had all their sins forgiven and therefore it does not make sense to continue to live in them (cf. Rom 6:1ff; 1 Jn 3:9; 5:18).
This new mode of behaviour has led to opposition from pagans, who cannot understand why they have given up the vices they previously indulged in. Some of the sins mentioned (sins not common among Jews), and the reference to abuse by Gentiles, suggest that the letter was originally written to Christian converts from paganism. The reaction of the pagans to their behaviour, constituting as it does a moral reproach for their sinful lives, is nothing new: Why did Cain kill Abel, St John asks himself, and he replies, "Because his deeds were evil and his brother's righteous" (1 Jn 3:12). This type of reaction is always liable to occur.
In this connexion the Apostle reminds them that Judgment is nigh (cf. note on 4:7), and that judgment will show everything up in its true light. He who "is ready to judge the living and the dead" (v. 5) is Jesus Christ; in many other passages of the New Testament it reads "who will come to judge" (cf. 5:4; Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1): this must have been a standard formula in early Christian catechesis, which passed into the Apostles' Creed. 6. "The gospel was preached even to the dead": it is not easy to work out what this means; it may be an allusion to our Lord descending into the bosom of Abraham (cf. 3:19-20). However, St Peter is possibly referring to Christians who have already died without seeing, in this life, the final victory of Christ: the preaching they heard, and their lives according to the Gospel (which brought them insults from their contemporaries), have not been in vain.
In either case, St Peter would be referring to those who remained faithful to God, whose life seemed folly to people without supernatural outlook. This passage is evocative of the following text from the Book of Wisdom: "The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality" (Wis 3:1-4).
7-11. "The end of all things is at hand": the incarnation of Jesus Christ marked the beginning of the last days, a period which extends to the end of the world and the Last Judgment (cf. note on 1 Jn 2:18). That is why the last stage of the world "is at hand", or, as some translate it, "has arrived". Because the End is imminent (cf. 4:5), St Peter urges them to practise prayer and charity, Christ's "new commandment" (cf. Jn 13:34-35), and also hospitality, which was highly valued among the Semites and encouraged among Christians (cf., e.g., Rom 12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; 5:10).
This readiness to make available to others the gifts one has received from God, will cause God to be glorified in everything through Jesus Christ (v. 11). The passage ends with a doxology or hymn in praise of Christ (possibly as a formula used in early liturgy and familiar to the first Christians). As elsewhere in the New Testament, the doxology does not appear at the end of the letter (cf. Rom 1:25; 9:5; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:21); in fact only three epistles end with a doxology (Romans, Jude and 2 Peter). Therefore, the fact that the doxology comes at this point does not mean that it originally marked the end of the letter; it may indicate that St Peter has been following up to this point the structure of an early form of baptismal catechesis. The themes dealt with in the rest of the letter, the style, and even the vocabulary, all support the view that the same author is writing throughout.
8. "Love covers a multitude of sins": this quotation from the Old Testament (Prov 10:12; cf. Jas 5:20) can be taken to refer both to other people's sins (which charity understands and forgives) and to one's own. After teaching us to pray in the Our Father, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us", our Lord added: "if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you" (Mt 6:12, 14). And, when he pardoned the sinful woman, he said, "her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much" (Lk 7:47).
The Church teaches that perfect love for God wins pardon for sins, but it stresses that that love includes a desire to receive the sacrament of Penance, for one cannot love God without wanting to do what he has laid down: "The Sacred Council also teaches that even if it sometimes happens that a person has this contrition made perfect by charity and becomes reconciled to God prior to receiving this sacrament, his reconciliation should not be attributed to his contrition but rather to his desire for the sacrament which is included in his contrition" (Council of Trent, De Sacramento paenitentiae, chap. 4).
10-11. The Christian receives various gifts from God, that is, charisms or graces given mainly for the benefit of others: they should not be kept for oneself but used for the purpose for which they were intended.
Speaking of the apostolic action of the faithful, the Second Vatican Council recalls that "the Holy Spirit sanctifies the people of God through the ministry and the sacraments. However, for the exercise of the apostolate he gives the special gifts besides (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), 'apportioning them to each one as he wills' (1 Cor 12:11), so that each and all, putting at the service of others the grace received, may be 'as good stewards of God's varied grace' (1 Pet 4:10), for the building up of the whole body in charity (cf. Eph 4:16). From the reception of these charisms, even the most ordinary ones, there arises for each of the faithful the right and duty of exercising them in the Church and in the world for the good of men and the development of the Church" (Apostolicam actuositatem, 3).
12-19. St Peter now returns to the main theme of this part of the letter (3:13 - 4:19) -- the trials Christians unjustly suffer on account of being followers of Christ (cf. 1: 6-7; 2:18-25; 3:13-17). They should not be surprised or ashamed by this; rather, it should make them happy and lead them to glorify God, for if they share in Christ's suffering it means they will also share in his exaltation. St John of Avila wrote: "God wants to open our eyes and have us realize what favours are being done us in things the world regards as disadvantages, and how honoured we are to be scoffed at for seeking the honour of God, and what great reward awaits us for our present depression, and how God's gentle, sweet and loving arms are opened wide to receive those wounded in doing battle on his behalf' (Letter, 58).
Moreover, the "spirit of God" will rest on them (v. 14): our Lord promised the special assistance of the Holy Spirit to persecuted Christians hauled before courts on account of their faith (cf. Mt 10:19-20); St Peter here calls him "the spirit of glory", because his indwelling in the Christian is a guarantee and an anticipation of eternal glory (cf. 2 Cor 1:22).
Before the divine judgment which lies ahead (it is one of the frequent themes of the letter) no one can be complacent (vv. 17-18). The Apostle's severe warnings are reminiscent of those Jesus gave the women of Jerusalem on his way to Calvary: "if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Lk 23:31). However, if one has suffered on Christ's account in this life it is clear that one can approach the judgment with greater confidence (cf. Mt 5:11-12; 10:32).
13. "To the prospect of the Kingdom of God," Bl. Pope John Paul II taught, "is linked hope in that glory which has its beginning in the Cross of Christ. The Resurrection revealed this glory -- eschatological glory -- which in the Cross of Christ was completely obscured by the immensity of suffering. Those who share in the suffering of Christ are also called, through their own sufferings, to share in glory" (Salvifici doloris, 22).
From: Mark 11:11-26
The Messiah Enters Jerusalem (Continuation)
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[11] And He (Jesus) entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when He had looked around at everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The Barren Fig Tree. The Expulsion of the Money-Changers
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[12] On the following day, when they came from Bethany, He was hungry. [13] And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He could find anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. [14] And He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And His disciples heard it.
[15] And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; [16] and He would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. [17] And He taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." [18] And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the multitude was astonished at His teaching. [19] And when evening came they went out of the city.
[20] As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. [21] And Peter remembered and said to Him, "Master, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered." [22] And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. [23] Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will. [25] And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
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Commentary:
12. Jesus' hunger is another sign of His being truly human. When we contemplate Jesus we should feel Him very close to us; He is true God and true man. His experience of hunger shows that He understands us perfectly: He has shared our needs and limitations. "How generous our Lord is in humbling Himself and fully accepting His human condition! He does not use His divine power to escape from difficulties or effort. Let's pray that He will teach us to be tough, to love work, to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savoring the consequences of self-giving" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 161).
13-14. Jesus, of course, knew that it was not the right time for figs; therefore, He was not looking for figs to eat. His action must have a deeper meaning. The Fathers of the Church, whose interpretation St. Bede reflects in his commentary on this passage, tells us that the miracle has an allegorical purpose: Jesus had come among His own people, the Jews, hungry to find fruit of holiness and good works, but all He found were external practices--leaves without fruit. Similarly, when He enters the temple, He upbraids those present for turning the temple of God, which is a house of prayer (prayer is the fruit of piety), into a place of commerce (mere leaves). "So you", St. Bede concludes, "if you do not want to be condemned by Christ, should guard against being a barren tree, by offering to Jesus, who made Himself poor, the fruit of piety which He expects of you" ("In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
God wants both fruit and foliage; when, because the right intention is missing, there are only leaves, only appearances, we must suspect that there is nothing but purely human action, with no supernatural depth--behavior which results from ambition, pride and a desire to attract attention.
"We have to work a lot on this earth and we must do our work well, since it is our daily task that we have to sanctify. But let us never forget to do everything for God's sake. If were to do it ourselves, out of pride, we could produce nothing but leaves, and no matter howluxuriant they were, neither God nor our fellow man would find any good in them" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 202).
15-18. Our Lord does not abide lack of faith or piety in things to do with the worship of God. If He acts so vigorously to defend the temple of the Old Law, it indicates how we should truly conduct ourselves in the Christian temple, where He is really and truly present in the Blessed Eucharist. "Piety has its own good manners. Learn them. It's a shame to see those `pious' people who don't know how to attend Mass--even though they go daily,--nor how to bless themselves (they throw their hands about in the wierdest fashion), nor how to bend the knee before the Tabernacle (their ridiculous genuflections seem a mockery), nor how to bow their heads reverently before a picture of our Lady" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 541). Cf. note on Matthew 21:12-13.
20-25. Jesus speaks to us here about the power of prayer. For prayer to be effective, absolute faith and trust are required: "A keen and living faith. Like Peter's. When you have it--our Lord has said so--you will move mountains, the humanly insuperable obstacles that rise up against your apostolic undertakings" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 489).
For prayer to be effective, we also need to love our neighbor, forgiving him everything: if we do, then God our Father will also forgive us. Since we are all sinners we need to admit the fact before God and ask His pardon (cf. Luke 18:9-14). When Christ taught us to pray He required that we have these predispositions (cf. Matthew 6:12; also Matthew 5:23 and notes on same). Here is how Theophylact ("Ennaratio in Evangelium Marci, in loc.") puts it: "When you pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father who is in Heaven may forgive you [...]. He who believes with great affection raises his whole heart to God and, in David's words, opens his soul to God. If he expands his heart before God in this way, he becomes one with Him, and his burning heart is surer of obtaining what he desires."
Even when he is in the state of sin, man should seek God out in prayer; Jesus places no limitations at all: "Whatever you ask..." Therefore, our personal unworthiness should not be an excuse for not praying confidently to God. Nor should the fact that God already knows our needs be an excuse for not turning to Him. St. Teresa explains this when she prays: "O my God, can it be better to keep silent about my necessities, hoping that Thou wilt relieve them? No, indeed, for Thou, my Lord and my Joy, knowing how many they must be and how it will alleviate them if we speak to Thee of them, dost bid us pray to Thee and say that Thou will not fail to give" (St. Teresa, "Exclamations", 5). Cf. notes on Matthew 6:5-6 and Matthew 7:7-11.
26. As the RSV note points out, many ancient manuscripts add a v. 26: but it is clearly an addition, taken straight from Matthew 6:15. This addition was included by the editors of the Old Vulgate.
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