Fruitful and useful

THE STORY is told about a man inside a public phone booth who just stood there saying nothing, while a line was forming outside. Once in a while he would nod or scratch his head, but otherwise he was quiet. Curious and angry about what was happening, the man next in line knocked at the glass door saying, "Excuse me, sir, you've been there for 10 minutes already, and there's a long line of people who also want to use the phone." Somewhat irritated, the man inside the phone booth said, "Can't you see I'm talking to my wife?"

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In today's Gospel (Lk. 13, 1-9), the Lord speaks about the impatience of a man who did not find fruits on a fig tree, even to the point of cutting it down because it was unproductive and useless-"cut it down, why should it use up the ground?" It is a good thing for us to ponder today what we have done and what we will do for the rest of our lives. Has my life been useful and meaningful? Have I done something good and worthwhile? Did I somehow make it a better world because I passed by? Will I come before God and present to Him a life well-lived, or will I come before Him empty-handed because I never really cared or loved?

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Our God is a patient God, an understanding and forgiving God. He is a God of surprises and many chances. However, this should not lead us to abuse His goodness. There will be a final reckoning and final accounting for all our deeds and misdeeds. There will be a final and definitive judgment where the good will be rewarded and the evil will be punished. The Lord's message today should serve both as a warning to those who abuse, and give hope to those who keep on trying.

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There are some people who think they can put God in a cage and make Him into their own image and likeness. We cannot limit God. We must not lean on our own understanding. It is wrong to think that we can embezzle heaven. It is equally wrong to think that we can just get a free ride and gate crash into the heavenly gates. We need faith and good works. We need to pray and work for our salvation. As the bird needs its left and right wings to fly, we too must have the wings of prayers and the wings of love to lift us up.

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"To whom much is given, much is also required." May we remind those who have been given much in this world to also give much to this world. There are those who occupy much space and "use up the ground," but don't bear fruits for others. They are fruitless. Worse, they are of no use to others. They are useless-fruitless and useless. Some people are like that. They are adorned and are abloom with flowers, but they are not fruitful and are not useful, except to themselves.

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Recently, during my visit to the South, I "encountered" again the Bangar tree, which is so beautiful to behold with its bright red flowers but oh, so ugly because of its foul smell even from a distance. I remember that we had one in our elementary school in Bani, Pangasinan. Papa and Mama often reminded us that what is important in life is not the appearance of a person, but the fragrance coming from his heart and character.

Learn from the rice stalks. Those that are straight and tall are empty, while those that are bent and lowly are heavy with grain. There are people who are "up there," but all they have are their money and power. Remove these from them, and they have nothing at all. No character, no values, no true friends, no respect. They live colorful lives, but they are not fruitful. They live comfortable lives but they are not useful.

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Someone once said that we cannot do much about the length of life, but certainly we can do something about its depth. The quantity of our lives is up to God and to different other factors, but the quality of our lives depends very much on ourselves. Some people are really quantified, and even over-quantified, but, sad to say, they are not living quality lives.

And how do you know you are living a quality life? If you have really done your best and you can say with the Desiderata that "with all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it's still a beautiful world."

Beware of "flowerful" and colorful people on the prowl again, enticing us to vote for them, who, once they are planted in their desired positions, will just "use up the ground" and edge us out. The Gospel reminds us to cut down the tree, which does not bear fruit. Elections are the best time for us to cut down useless and fruitless trees and replace them not with "flowerful" and useless ones, but with those that are useful and fruitful.

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When was the last time you saw the sun set? I like this beautiful time of the day when work is done. How you feel at sunset depends very much on how you spent your day and what you carry in your heart.

May we all live beautiful and meaningful lives, so that at the sunset years of our lives, we can present to God a tree laden with fruits of love.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, more than a "flowerful" and colorful life, help me to live a fruitful and useful life. Amen.