One of the unfortunate decisions of the liturgical reform after Vatican II was what happened to this week after Pentecost. For hundreds of years, this week was celebrated with great solemnity as the Pentecost Octave. The Veni Sancte Spiritus, the Pentecost Sequence would be sung, calling down the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Pentecost Week was also one of the four sets of ember days, corresponding to the changing of the seasons.
Now, after Vatican II, we just kind of starkly find ourselves in the middle of Ordinary Time with no real reference to Pentecost Sunday. Our scripture readings simply resume from where we left off all the way back in February prior to the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
So if you remember, all the way back then, we were reading sequentially from the Gospel of Mark and we were pretty deep into the Lord’s public ministry. In fact, we’ll be concluding Mark’s Gospel within the next two weeks.
Today’s Gospel takes place on Monday of Holy Week. The day prior, of course, the Lord had entered triumphantly through the gates of Jerusalem. And that night, he had made the short trip back to Bethany, where he stayed in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
St. Mark then presents us with these three vignettes from Holy Monday. First, as he was leaving Bethany the Lord curses this fig tree. Next, he chases the money changers out of the temple. Finally, returning to Bethany he gives his disciples a beautiful, yet challenging teaching on authentic faith using the example of the now-withered Fig Tree. What is going on here on Holy Monday?
The Lord uses this cursed-withered Fig Tree as a metaphor for the state of religious life for the people of Israel. The religious leaders and the people had allowed rot and corruption to enter God’s holy Temple. What was meant to be a place of blessing and worship had become a place of corruption and rotten fruit.
The powers of spiritual rot and corruption are always trying to worm their way into the Church and into their lives. So the Lord teaches his disciples that they must be people of forgiveness and prayer. Their hearts must be rooted in his teaching, in his Gospel, in deep and radical faith.
We can sense spiritual corruption worming around in our lives wherever there is a failure to forgive from our heart, wherever there is coldness toward the importance of prayer, wherever trust in God’s mighty power grows cold.
This is a wonderful teaching as we begin, once again the season of Ordinary Time. That in the ordinary course of our lives we need to practice authentic forgiveness, vibrant prayer, and radical faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
That all members of the Church will discover and offer their gifts wholeheartedly in service of the Gospel.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out.
For the grace to set good Christian example, and to courage to share the faith with non-believers and the lapsed.
For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.
For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord
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