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Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“Good trees bear good fruit,” the Lord says in today’s Gospel.
But can we bear more fruit?
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One of the best ways to bear more fruit is to remove those withering branches.
They’re the dark, limp twigs that sap energy and nutrients without giving anything back. It’s an important truth: withering branches take energy to die, which is why a farmer prunes them.
The faster those lifeless branches are removed, the more fruitful the tree or vine becomes.
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What might a withering branch look like in our own lives?
Imagine holding onto a grudge. That anger would sap your energy without giving anything back. The quicker you let go of that grudge, the happier you become.
Or consider having a bad habit. It demands your time and energy while denigrating your health. The quicker you can let it go, the happier – and more fruitful – you become.
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“Good trees bear good fruit,” the Lord says.
But can you bear more fruit?
Identify those withering branches and surrender them to the Lord, the Divine Gardener, who will enable us to bear thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.
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Image credits: (1) What Kind of Heart Bears Good Fruit? LinkedIn (2) Musings and Wonderment (3) MCF Life Church