Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. It commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. On the Great and Holy Monday or Great Monday, the Church commemorates the blessed and noble Joseph and the fig tree which was cursed and withered by the Lord. The fruitless fig trees is a symbol of judgment that will befall those who do not bring forth the fruits of repentance, priest Andrei Borta, of Saint Nicolae Church in Cricova, told Info-Prim Neo . The withering of the fig tree was a miracle of special symbolism, since the tree had leaves, but no fruit. It is symbolic of the many people who claim ethical and religious identity, but who in reality have empty lives that yield no fruit. Jesus cursed the tree: "May no fruit ever come from you again!". The Passion of Jesus Christ has its beginning on this day. Joseph is regarded as a symbol of Christ from former times, and thus is celebrated on Great Monday. The reference to the story of the virtuous Joseph of the Old Testament is made only for contrast, since the life of Joseph was a model of propriety and sincere observance of ethical principles. The fig tree is also every soul which is devoid of all spiritual fruit. In the morning, that is after this present life, if the Lord finds no refreshment in such a soul, He withers it with a curse and hands it over to the everlasting fire. It remains standing as a dried-up post, striking fear into those who do not produce the fitting fruit of the virtues.