Lives and love that will last

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A most interesting contrast today in the word of God.

First, we hear of God’s delight in his people, especially with those who keep his covenant.

Clearly, the way people in general, and the scripture writers in particular, saw their God was that God was pleased with those who did what he asked of them through his covenantal relationship with them.

Those lived on forever. Those had a posterity in their succeeding generations.

Others, forgotten!

In the Gospel, there is little delight, but immediately, almost scorn, for those things and surely people, too, that were not producing fruitfulness nor living as they ought.

And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it.” — Mark 11:14.

The fig tree without fruit — cursed!

The money changers who had turned the temple area into a marketplace, not for just the necessary religious things needed for sacrifices, but rather, into a full fleamarket — the place of prayer had become the place of greed and money; simply put, money had become their god! Jesus would have none of it.

He cursed the barren tree and he upturned the godless prayer space strewn with tables of commerce that had become a marketplace.

That, also barren.

The Gospel verse merges the two with the simple statement: “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.”

And as usual, this word, as well as all of the word of God, is meant to call and direct our lives into fruitfulness and grace, and lives and love that will last.

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.