Year: 2024

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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

Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are plenty of acronyms and sayings in modern American English that would make no sense to people living back in Jesus’ day. Some examples include:

BYOB.

RSVP.

I have the blues.

Or, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.

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We find the reverse happening in today’s Gospel. Jesus uses a saying that might’ve made sense 2,000 years ago, but is lost in translation today:

“Do not throw what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine… lest they turn and tear you to pieces.”

What on earth does he mean?

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Christ is cautioning his disciples, urging them to protect their budding faith, the new relationships they are forming, and the culture of faith-sharing he’s building.

Do not throw these precious things – these “pearls” – before those who will not appreciate them. Otherwise, they might be ruined.

While the early Christians were commissioned to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth – as we still are today – they also needed to form boundaries against those who were sinful, unrepentant, or non-believers.

This might’ve even included friends or people in their own family.

You and I can benefit from such a reminder today. While we live in the world, we are not of it. Be careful not to let the doubt, the skepticism, or growing anti-Christian values in our culture into your heart, lest your faith be weakened.

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When you come across such people or moments who tempt your faith, you might say, “Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.”

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Image credits: (1) Popular Sayings, Writer of Pop Culture (2) illustAC, pig and pearls (3) Austin Davis, 3:24 YouTube

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Gospel: Luke 1: 57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born…and the day you know why.”

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In today’s Gospel, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. From the moment of his birth, people were wondering, “Why was he born? What will this child become?”

They suspected John had a divine purpose. But they’d have to wait another thirty years to find out what it was. 

Eventually, John built up the kingdom of God by leading thousands of people to Jesus.

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John reminds us that we all have a “why,” a reason for our lives. Part of life is spent discovering that purpose, which may change over time. 

The rest of life is spent living it out.

In my own case, I know I was born to be a priest. Thirty-nine years ago, while the Lord was knitting me together in my mother’s womb, he was also planting the seed of a vocation – a call to love and serve his people.

How grateful I am to have found my purpose, and to share that with all of you.

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Have you found your “why?” Has it changed over time? Are you still searching?

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“I know well the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans for your benefit, not for woe… You will find me when you seek me, when you seek me with all of your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

There is a purpose for each day of our lives. While the particulars may vary, ultimately every purpose is connected with that of John the Baptist: to draw others closer to Jesus.

How might we do that today?

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Image credits: (1) Happify.com (2) Saint John the Baptist as a Child, William Bouguereau (3) Proverbs Mama, WordPress