Gospel

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples:

"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,

nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.

For every tree is known by its own fruit.

For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,

nor do they gather grapes from brambles.

A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,

but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;

for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?

I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,

listens to my words, and acts on them.

That one is like a man building a house,

who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;

when the flood came, the river burst against that house

but could not shake it because it had been well built.

But the one who listens and does not act

is like a person who built a house on the ground

without a foundation.

When the river burst against it,

it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

Reflection

It may be hard for us to realize that any authenticity that we have, any power to truly be a transforming agent for anyone else, we have to be integrated. We have to know who we are. We have to embrace everything about us. In that way, we are able to change people because what we're producing comes from something deep inside of us that's more than us.

It's the heart that speaks, and the heart is the home of the Holy Spirit in all of us. And when we're speaking in his name, when we're speaking with his truth within us, there's great fruitfulness and all are fed.

Closing Prayer

Father, we know that we are here to learn and to understand. And knowledge can bring us to a certain point, but ultimately what we rely upon is this awesome Holy Spirit within us. It doesn't just teach us, but transforms us into the truth of the teaching. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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