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Fruitful By the Help of Our Lady

First Reading: 2 Kgs 22:8-13, 23:1-3

Psalm: Ps 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

Gospel: Mt 7:15-20

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us very beautiful images and teaches us about good character in our Christian life.

1. Our relationship with God brings about the production of good fruit. The fruit reveals the nature of the tree. Jesus says” A good tree does not produce bad fruit. A bad tree does not produce good fruit.” To judge a tree’s fruit, we look, especially, at one particular moment—the period of production, or what we call harvest. In the same way, the quality of a Christian life reflects the heart of the man. Here, Jesus calls upon the treasure of our heart to reflect inner character. Our speech and actions are determined by the quality of our soul that produces them. By linking the heart and the fruit, our motives and actions are tied together.

If we want to produce good fruit, our motives must be clear and our focus must be on Christ, so that our choice will be directed toward our final goal—to union with Him. We also hope to be continually converted to Christ and to gradually renew our life, so that we can harvest our spiritual fruit in due season.

2. Jesus challenges us to be faithful in our life, as his disciples. Jesus says “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” How can we recognize Jesus as our Lord, and call him Master, and then not follow through on the commitment to walk with him? We can meditate on Our Lady as a perfect model in following her Son, Jesus Christ, as a true disciple. She “kept all the things (of Jesus) in her heart.” (LUKE 2: 51)

3. Jesus reminds us that he is our true foundation. He uses the parable of the two houses. One is built on rock, the other on sand. One builder dug deeply and laid the foundation on a rock. A secure foundation takes work. The hard work is worth it, because in the storm this house stands strong and secure. Nothing shakes it. Let us remember Jesus is our rock and sure foundation. We are able to continue standing during the trials of this world.

Today we especially bring to mind our Mother in Heaven. Through the prayers of Our Lady, help us to free ourselves from all evil on earth and lead us to eternal joy in heaven.

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, June 27, 2012 >>

St. Cyril of Alexandria
Saint of the Day

2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3
View Readings

Psalm 119:33-37, 40

Matthew 7:15-20

FRUIT INSPECTION

"Any sound tree bears good fruit, while a decayed tree bears bad fruit." —Matthew 7:17

This week we conclude three weeks of reading and praying the Sermon on the Mount. The world, even much of the Christian world, explicitly denies Jesus' commands in the Sermon on the Mount. For example, our society believes in a pleasure-seeking lifestyle, not in voluntary poverty (Mt 5:3). We aren't nearly as concerned as Jesus about looking lustfully at someone (Mt 5:28). How could we stockpile nuclear weapons if we were concerned with loving our enemies? (Mt 5:44) Most people don't believe in the Sermon on the Mount. Who's right — Jesus or our society?

Jesus said: "You will know them by their deeds" (Mt 7:16). "You can tell a tree by its fruit" (Mt 7:20). The fruit of not living God's way is broken lives, broken marriages, and broken hearts, a world overshadowed by the mushroom cloud of nuclear war, a lifestyle that enslaves, and sexual bondage rather than true love. By its fruits, we know our society is wrong, and Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount were right all along.

Prayer: Father, may I take the Sermon on the Mount as literally as Jesus did.

Promise: "The King made a covenant before the Lord that they would follow Him and observe His ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this book." —2 Kgs 23:3

Praise: St. Cyril was a difficult man to work with. God used this difficult man to achieve the difficult task of defeating heresy.