Guided reflection:

The story continues around Jesus’ anger in the temple… well, actually, at all things that are not producing the kind of fruit they were intended. The Temple was to be a place of prayer and it was now a place of money scamming; Jerusalem was to be the holy city that could recognize the Messiah yet did not; and a fig tree is suppose to produce figs and it does not! Jesus curses the tree to die! When they passed by that same fig tree the next morning, it had withered and died over night! They were amazed… and Jesus uses this as an example about the power of their words and prayer! Whatever you ask in prayer, you will have it if you believe… and if you forgive others their sins, your Heavenly Father will forgive yours as well. Where have you seen your words have power? Where have you forgiven so that now your sins are forgiven as well?

Guided prayer:

“You see me just as I am, O God. I cannot hide the truth from you. Where I am like the fig tree, looking all nice and trimmed but not producing a lick of fruit? Bring me back to life, O Lord. Amen.