June 25, 2008 Reflection

The date for this reflection is a day faster than the one this blog site uses - apparently American, hence I entitle this sharing with the date I actually wrote it since it is so here in the Philippines. The readings are taken from the 12th week in Ordinary Time Year 2.

1st Rdg - 2 Kgs 22: 8-13. 23: 1-3
Gospel - Mt 7: 15-20

In the Gospel, Jesus warns us about "false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them...Every good tree bears good fruit, and rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit... By their fruits you will know them."

The Israelites in the first reading have heard again the Word of God, the Torah which was found in the Temple. The king asked the priersts and his servants to consult the Lord for him "about the stipulations of this book that was found" for he realized that "our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book, nor fulfill our written obligations." The king together with all the Israelites, they made a covenant with the Lord to "follow HIm and observe HIs ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls,..."

Much like their experience in the first reading, one feels humiliated and challenged to ask oneself: "What fruits do/did I bear?" No one wants to be a false prophet and thus bear bad fruit. And yet this Word today challenges us to do something - remove the bad fruit and try our best to bear good fruit, lest we risk being cut and thrown away into the fire.

Going on deeper, it dawned on me that God must have wanted to show us that His fruits are good fruits. Look at His creation - all the filth that we see nowadays seemingly much similar to those at the time of Noah - and all the acts the Old Testament have shown us - remember Moses and Yahweh when the Yahweh wanted Moses to wipe them away, angry at their idolatry in the desert while Moses was in the mountain receiving the Decalogue? Can we then say that since we may not have been good fruits, then He must be a bad Tree?

Indeed, God must have been challenged by Christ's word, and showed us the Resurrection - His fruit is LIFE, and if we follow Christ, we can be this good fruit too - our own Resurrection - even on a daily basis, from our deaths and evil.

Today, He challenges us to start bearing good fruit if we are to really participate in the prophet-hood of Christ. For as baptized, we share in the kingly, priestly, and prophetic roles and identities of Christ, our Saviour.

God bless