Gardener of our souls, we thank you for giving us more chances when we fail to fulfill your desire for us. Grant us grace to bear good fruit, that we might repay you for the good you have done for us, through Christ our Lord, who intercedes on our behalf before your throne in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
‘Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the man working the vineyard, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.’”‘ – Luke 13:6-9