I imagine myself as a fruit tree. What sort will it be? Lord, let me bear good fruit at harvest time!

St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop

St. John Fisher, bishop & martyr & St. Thomas More, martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

２kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3

At that moment Hilkiah,

The high priest, said to Shaphan, the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the House of Yahweh.” And he entrusted the Book to Shaphan who read it. Then Sha­phan went to the king and said, “We have gathered the money in the House, and this has been turned over to the care­­takers of the House to make the repairs.”

And Shaphan added, “The priest Hilkiah has turned over a book to me.” And Shaphan read the book to the king. When the king heard the contents of the book, he tore his clothes and com­­­­­manded Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, the secretary Shaphan, and Asaiah, his minister, to do the follow­ing, “Go and consult Yah­weh about the threats in this book which you have found.

Consult him for me, for the peo­ple and for the whole of Judah, since our fathers did not listen to what this book says nor to its ordinances. This is why the anger of Yahweh is ready to burn against us.”

The king summoned to his side all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.   Then he went up to the House of Yahweh followed by all the peo­ple of Judah and Jerusalem. The priests with the prophets and all the people went with him, from the youngest to the oldest. When all were gathered, he read to them the book of the Law found in the House of Yahweh.

The king stood by the pillar; he made a covenant in the presence of Yah­weh, promising to follow him, to keep his commandments and laws, and to respect his ordinances. He promised to keep this covenant according to what was written in the book with all his heart and with all his soul. And all the people promised with him.

 

Ps 119 33, 34, 36, 40

Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

 

 ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

Matthew 7:15-20

 Beware of false prophets: they come to you in sheep’s clothing but inside they are wild wolves.   You will recognize them by their fruits. Do you ever pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

A good tree always produces good fruit, a rotten tree produces bad fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit.  Any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire.   So you will know them by their fruit.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Knowing Tree by Fruit

If a tree is known by its fruits, by what fruit is a true Christian known? Paul has given us a list as the “true fruit” of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (cf. Gal 5:22-23). The list is headed by the fruit “love.”

Jesus himself has been very direct in pointing out by what fruit we are to be known: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Indeed it is by such love that the Christians were branded in the early Church, as Tertullian affirms in his Apologeticus:

“It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. See, they say, how they love one another.” What is the defining fruit by which you are known?