Sunday:       8th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Date:         March 2, 2025.
Year:         C
The readings: [Sir. 27:4-7; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; Lk. 6:39-45]
The message:  Each tree is known by its fruit.
Prepared by:  Catholic Doors Ministry.
Total words:  1063.

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"Each tree is known by its fruit." [Lk. 6:44] My brothers and sisters in Christ, surely, the mystery of our salvation is not found in our worldly nature.

The worldly nature that we have inherited through the Adamic seed is sinful. It bears fruits that display human weaknesses. It seeks fame, pleasures of the flesh, wealth and all what is abominable to God. It promotes hatred, disharmony, division, sadness, suffering, war, impatience, malice, selfishness, disloyalty, cruelty, and all what offends God. It lacks self- control.

In our worldly nature, we have a heart of stone. We have a tongue that is a small member, but yet it boasts of great exploits. [Jas. 3:5] Our eyes are not satisfied with seeing, nor our ears filled with hearing. [Ecc. 1:8]

In the worldly nature, we perceive ourselves as being superior to others. We appoint ourselves as teachers. But, can a blind person guide a blind person? [Lk. 6:39] Is a disciple above his teacher? [Lk. 6:40] In this weak nature, we see the speck in the eye of our neighbour, but we do not notice the log in our own eye. [Lk. 6:41] And yet, we say to our neighbour, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye.' [Lk. 6:42]

In the worldly nature, our words, our actions, our eyes, our ears, our hands, all of these disclose the cultivation of our minds. We do not understand our actions. For we do not do what we want, but we do the very thing that we hate. [Rom. 7:15] How wretched we are in our worldly nature. [Rom. 7:24] In the flesh, we are sold into slavery under sin. [Rom. 7:14] Who will rescue us from this body of death? [Rom. 7:24]

God did!

In the days of Ezekiel, the Lord God promised, "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh." [Ezek. 11:19-20] Through the Sacrament of Baptism, this promise was fulfilled. Being born again of spirit and water [Jn. 3:5] in obedience to the command of Jesus, we have received our new creation (human spirit) of the seed of God. [1 Jn. 3:9] This proves that, "What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." [Jn. 3:6] Now, we can worship the Heavenly Father in spirit and truth, such being pleasing to Him. [Jn. 4:24]

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away, see, everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:16-7] Our new creation is everything! [Gal. 6:15]

"We know that our old self was crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin." [Rom. 6:6] So we must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Rom. 6:11]

Through Christ, the written word was fulfilled, 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' [1 Cor. 15:54] By being born again through the Sacrament of Baptism, our physical bodies that are perishable have put an imperishable human spirit of the godly seed. "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Cor. 15:54]

Through our new creation, we have been blessed with a spiritual nature. We have received a new heart to as a tool to help us overcome the heart of stone.

Through our spiritual nature, we are called to shine in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, these being, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. [Gal. 5:22-3] When our spirits walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we have assurance that out of the good treasure of our hearts, good fruits shall be produced. This clearly tells us that our salvation and eternal dwelling in the Kingdom of God is not found through our worldly nature, but rather, through our spiritual nature.

The spiritual nature detests the abominations of the world. It renounces Satan and his deceptive works that lead towards darkness. The spiritual nature has a heart of flesh. It keeps it tongue from evil and its lips from speaking deceit. [Ps. 34:13] It departs from evil, and does good; seeking peace, and pursuing it. [Ps. 34:14]

Those who walk in their spiritual nature, their eyes are opened. They perceive the hidden meanings of the Parables of Jesus. They enjoy knowledge and understanding of the Wisdom of God. Their eyes are fixed towards Heaven, their treasures being accumulated for the reward that awaits those who are saved. Continuously embracing the spiritual nature, they walk their living faith in Christ in the fullness of humility, obedience and servitude, being fully qualified to be like the Teacher.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remain steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because we know that in the Lord our labour is not in vain. [1 Cor. 15:58] We will all receive our eternal reward according to the works of our living faith. "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." [Dan. 12:4]

As we enter the Eight Week in Ordinary Time, we should reflect upon the richness of the Wisdom of God that has been given to us through today's readings. We should ask ourselves,

- "Am I walking in the spirit as all children of God are called to dot?"

- "Am I shining in the fruit of the Holy Spirit?"

- "When others hear my words or see my actions, do they recognize spiritual behaviours?"

- "Is my perishable body shining in the imperishability that it has received from God?"

If out of the abundance of our hearts flows all what is worthy of being a child of God, then we should rejoice. If we see flaws in what flows from our hearts, then let us ask the sanctifying Spirit of the Lord Jesus to correct those flaws so we may shine in the world as Jesus shined during His days on earth. May God be with all of you during the week.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"When a sieve is shaken, the rubbish appears; so do a person's faults when one speaks. The kiln tests the potter's vessels; so the test of a person is in conversation.

Its fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree; so a person's speech discloses the cultivation of the mind. Do not praise people before they speak, for this is the way people are tested." [Sir. 27:4- 7]

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Second Reading...

"When the perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory,' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain." [1 Cor. 15:54-58]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jesus told his disciples a parable: 'Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.

Why do you see the speck in your neighbour's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour's eye.

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

Out of the good treasure of the heart, the good person produces good, and out of evil treasure, the evil person produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks." [Lk. 6:39-45]

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