Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8
In mid-February, I start daydreaming about being outside working in my garden or taking walks under leafy trees. I skim seed catalogs and think about what I might plant in the spring. It’s nice to think about warmer days and green things when the arctic air comes swooping in and the nights are still longer than the days.
Both David in Psalm 1 and Jeremiah in the first reading point us to a simile of a person who trusts in God being like a beautiful tree planted by a stream. What a nice, green thing to contemplate on a chilly February day.
When we place our trust in God, we stretch out our roots to the source of life. Without water, a tree withers and dies; without God’s life within us (grace), we would spiritually wither and die. The blessed tree flourishes because it is nourished and refreshed by God’s presence. When we trust in God, our roots go deep to reach Jesus, the stream of life.
A tree with deep roots easily weathers droughts and storms, just as those who place their trust in God can weather the sufferings and afflictions of life with grace and even joy: “Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21). Deep roots make us resilient in the face of adversity. Deep roots help us take up our crosses each and every day and be the disciples Christ has called us to be (cf. Luk 9:23).
Deep, healthy roots make fruitful plants. A fruit tree that gets little nourishment makes no fruit. But a tree that’s planted by a stream gets all the nourishment it needs: rich soil and plentiful water. We, too, can be like this tree planted by a stream. The stream is Jesus, the living water (John 4:10). We can be planted by Jesus by staying close to Him in prayer, the sacraments, and Scripture reading. Our works of mercy are the fruits we yield in due season. May we joyfully offer them back to the Lord.