A Tree and Its Fruit!
23rd Saturday in Ordinary Time
Year One
1 Tim 1:15-17
The saying is sure and worthy of full
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am
the foremost. But for that very reason I
received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the
utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him
for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,
be honour and glory forever and ever.[a] Amen. (1 Tim 1:15-17)
Meditation
St Paul expresses that he was the
example of God’s mercy and saving action in his life. Like manner all those who
believe in Jesus would be saved. It happens to some that they keep on brooding
over their sinful life and give thought that their sins will not be forgiven.
Jesus came to forgive and give mercy. God’s name is mercy. God forgives and he
made the mercy of him possible through the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It
takes courage to trust in the mercy of God. One need to be humble and allow the
mercy of God work. At times it is the pride that makes one not forgive
himself/herself. One need to be humble
and allow oneself be forgiven by others and God. Jesus forgave St Paul and
transformed him and made use of him for his mission. St Paul has done much for
the name of Jesus; which no one will be able to do it for Christ. He as
forgiven much by God and he did much for the Lord.
Do we allow ourselves to be
forgiven by Jesus?
1 Cor 10:14-22
In this passage, Paul is warning the Corinthian believers
to flee from idolatry. He appeals to them as wise people who should discern his
message. He uses the example of the Lord’s Supper (the cup and the bread) to
highlight the unity of believers with Christ. He contrasts this with the pagan
sacrifices, saying that while idols themselves are nothing, the sacrifices
offered to them are offered to demons—not to God.
Paul's call to "flee from idolatry" isn’t only
about physical idols. In today's context, idolatry can mean anything we put in
the place of God—our careers, comfort, pleasure, relationships, or even our own
ego. Paul warns that mixing loyalty to God with devotion to anything else is
spiritual compromise.
The mention of communion—the bread and the cup—reminds us
that the Lord's Table is not just a ritual, but a participation in Christ. It
signifies unity, sacrifice, and holiness. Taking communion should cause us to
reflect on our loyalty to Jesus.
What are my idols?
Lk 6:43-49
A Tree and Its Fruit!
“No good tree bears bad fruit,
nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own
fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from
a bramble bush. The good person out of
the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil
treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the
mouth speaks (Lk 6:43-45).
We know the fact that good tree
gives good fruit and bad one bad fruit. If we are good tree bearing good fruit;
praise be to God. At time we notice there is evil at work in men/women; it is
at this awareness we need to work on us to remove the evil from us. To
transform the seed/thought/ intentions/ attitude of our mind and heart as good
tree so that we can bear good fruit.
What do I do to transform the bad
tree in me as good tree as to bear good fruits?
Fr
Putti Anthaiah, sdb
Comments
Post a Comment