＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

After this the word of Yahweh

Was spoken to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great!”   Abram said, “My Lord Yahweh, where are your promises? I am still childless and all I have will go to Eliezer of Damascus. You have given me no children, so a slave of mine will be my heir.”

 Then the word of Yahweh was spoken to him again, “Eliezer will not be your heir, but a child born of you (your own flesh and blood) will be your heir.” Then Yahweh brought him outside and said to him, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that.”

Abram believed Yahweh who, because of this, held him to be an upright man. And he said, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” Then Abram asked, “My Lord, how am I to know that it shall be mine?” Yahweh replied, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon.” 

Abram brought all these animals, cut them in two, and laid each half facing its other half, but he did not cut the birds in half. The birds of prey came down upon them, but Abram drove them away.  As the sun was going down, a deep sleep came over Abram, and a dreadful darkness took hold of him. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the victims. 

On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this country from the river of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.

 

Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7. 8-9

The Lord remembers his covenant ever.

 

＊＊＊＊ 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：

People can always pretend to be what they are not. But sooner or later, the truth comes out. For our mind and heart can lie but the body does not lie. Our actions and gestures, our so called body language will give us away. In the spiritual realm this is called the “fruits” that are produced by our daily actions and desires. This cannot be faked.

For no liar can be fully aware of his or her actions and desires every time. Hence what is carefully hidden and not manifested goes out from time to time. Then it coalesce into a reality afterwards for this small breaking through of what is truly inside accumulates and becomes a reality. And so, time reveals what is in the hearts and minds of people.