nothing; you have wasted the precious time I gave you to work out your salvation; and therefore away with you! I cannot tolerate your presence on the earth any longer. But I am still quite young. No matter. That tree was not old either. Cut him down! Come, O death! and take him. But I have done some good at least; I have heard Mass on Sundays and holy-days, and sometimes on week-days too; I have visited the churches, said my prayers, fasted till late in the evening on Good Friday, etc.? The same might have been said by that tree, if it could have spoken; it might have urged in its defence: at least I was some good; I brought forth beautiful leaves, that made an agreeable shade. But it produced no fruit, such as its owner expected to find on it; and therefore the order was given: cut it down! Truly, O mortal! the Almighty God can reply: you do some apparent good here and there; but I know the amount of devotion and zeal you have in those visits to the church, in your prayers and other works of piety; all the remaining time of your life you have wasted in idleness; it is not enough for you to do merely some thing; the whole law has to be fulfilled. Cut it down therefore! Away with the barren tree!
Repentance for having led an idle life, and purpose of amendment. O God of mercy! let me beg of Thee with the gardener in the Gospel for a respite. Have patience with me. Give me at least time to repent of my useless life, and to do penance for it, that I may not be condemned to the everlasting fire of hell! Now I know how grossly I have erred! Truly the time given me during my past years was too precious to be wasted in such frivolous occupations! Every moment of my life I might have gained, with small trouble, an eternity of glory and merit in Thy service; but I have squandered that time so wretchedly doing nothing or neglecting the good intention! I am sorry, O Lord! And I promise in future to use it better for my salvation, to heap up merit and to further Thy honor and glory, for whatever time Thou wilt still in Thy goodness and mercy grant me. Here on this earth, a place of penance and suffering, I am ready to fatigue myself with toil and labor, that in the evening, the end of my life, I may hear the words: “Call the laborers and pay them their hire,” and so come to eternal rest. Amen.
