Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons From the Scriptures by Raymond Arroyo

Author:Raymond Arroyo [Arroyo, Raymond]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Biblical Studies, General, Christianity, Catholic, Christian Life, Inspirational
ISBN: 9780385519861
Google: N5kUTAUsIwwC
Amazon: B001ANSRWE
Publisher: Image
Published: 2008-03-15T06:00:00+00:00

Bearing Fruit (A Meditation)

Matthew 7:15–20

It is the cool of the night, and the Lord is sitting in a semicircle with the apostles, and one of them asks: “How do you know a real prophet? They all look good and sound so good. How do you know which is from God?” The Lord says to them, “You must beware of false prophets and those who come to you disguised as sheep and underneath are wolves.”

Peter looks at the Master and says, “That’s the point. How do you know?” And the Master says, “YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. CAN PEOPLE PICK GRAPES FROM THORNS, OR FIGS FROM THISTLES? (7:16) IN THE SAME WAY, A SOUND TREE PRODUCES GOOD FRUIT BUT A ROTTEN TREE BAD FRUIT” (7:17).

I catch the Master’s eye and I say, “What do you mean by fruit?” He says, “You will know if someone is living the life of a child of God by his conduct.” And I say to Him, “You just said false prophets look like sheep but are wolves on the inside.” He said, “Yes, their actions are good but their fruit are bad. When a Christian loves his neighbor in the same way God loves him (as he is); when a Christian is patient with the faults of others; when he realizes that sanctity of life takes time and that each fall demands rising to greater heights; when a Christian has joy of heart and can accept anything that life gives him with serenity of soul; when he has unbounded confidence in His Father’s love for him—this is bearing fruit. A man and a woman will be known by their fruit. A pagan must see the Father in you so that he can believe that the Father sent Me and I sent you.”

I begin to understand that it means more to be a Christian than to be called a Christian. It means that God in me must grow brighter and brighter and as the image of Jesus grows in my soul, I must bear fruit.

The Lord then says something that chills me: “ANY TREE THAT DOES NOT PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN ON THE FIRE (7:19). I REPEAT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THEM BY THEIR FRUITS” (7:20).

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