How often have we read about the latest and greatest way to lose weight? There is the eat all day long plan, ABS Diet for Women, The Bonus Years Diet with large chunks of chocolate and wine included, and the Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss with tips how to lose weight by eating at restaurants; to name but a few. But, the crème de la crème is with a simple diet pill.  By taking one of these small pills two or three times a day we are guaranteed to lose all those unwanted pounds. How many of us scoff when we read these claims and say to ourselves, “Eat healthy, eat less and exercise more if you want to lose weight.”

In today’s readings are we not challenged to consider the same course of action if we want to lead a more faith filled life in concert with Christ?  Is one of the keys to a healthy spiritual life to avoid being swept up in the waves and winds of every new key to wellbeing and to keep our spiritual life focused on prayer, forgiveness and living the truth in love?  In the parable of the fig tree, Luke reminds us that not only must we live a prayer-filled life, we need to have great patience when it comes to seeing the results of such a life.  For as with diets and fig trees, our deepening relationship with Christ does not produce results overnight.  Only by faithfully attending to our spiritual needs in prayer and exercising our faith through the good deeds we do for others and with great patience and understanding will the change we so deeply desire rise up within us and become permanent.