Daily Meditation for April 23, 2025

“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely a tree,” so wrote Joyce Kilmer a century ago. Jesus would agree, as the Gospel reminds us that he did not need to go to Target nor any school supply store to purchase his teaching tools. He saw one of the greatest possibilities for teaching in a tree—a fig tree whose leafy arms held lusters of figs. Perhaps Jesus chose a fig tree to help us understand that growth happens when nurturing takes place. Thus, as Benedictines, our nurturing comes through prayer, lectio, participation in community life, and acts of kindness and hospitality. The fig tree’s branches are welcoming as they extend outward in all directions. The birds and animals can find food there and possibly make their homes there also. Thus, the fig tree can be a fine symbol of hospitality.

By Kathy Rademacher, OSB