Reading 1
1 Tm 1:15-17
Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5 And 6-7
R. (2) Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
Gospel
Lk 6:43-49
Jesus said to his disciples:
"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
"Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."
Meditation: Luke 6:43-49
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“Every tree is known by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:44)
Think of an apple tree. No matter how hard it may try, it simply cannot push and prod its apples to grow any faster than they were meant to grow. In that sense, the apples don’t come from the tree’s efforts. All the tree has to do is draw water and nutrients from the soil and receive the rays of the sun. The fruit then comes naturally—at its own pace and its own time.
Jesus used many down-to-earth images like this one to explain the spiritual life, so let’s follow his lead and compare the spiritual life to a tiny seed planted in our hearts. As with an apple seed, it is in the nature of this spiritual seed to bear fruit. It can’t help itself. All it needs is the right amount of nourishment and light, and it will start being productive.
So here’s the question: What is the best way to let this seed of faith take root? Simply put, we have to yield to Jesus. Think of the Virgin Mary. She pondered what God was doing. Martha’s sister Mary is another example. She sat at Jesus’ feet and listened intently to him. All too often, we tend to be preoccupied with too many other concerns.
Jesus told us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33). Life has its uncertainties, but we must believe that God knows best how to meet our needs. And as we seek God first, we will find in ourselves a desire to do his will more than our own. And we will find God helping us in “all these things” that make up our day-to-day lives.
So start today. Spend at least fifteen minutes just listening to the Lord. It will help the seed of faith grow in you. Sit in your favorite chair and read and meditate on a Scripture passage each day. Reading the word of God each day will help us “remain in him” and “bear much fruit” (John 15:5).
“Holy Spirit, help your church to pursue the gift of a quiet, restful heart. We want to hear all that you have to say to us. You are the foundation of our lives.”
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