Wednesday June 25, 2008

First Reading: 2 Kings 22:8-13, 23:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119
Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20

All praise and glory be to our Father above!

Two things really struck me from the readings today that I would like to share with you.

The first thing is in the second book of kings the last part of the reading says "And all the people stood as participants in the covenant." Hmmm...very interesting...it does not say that the people stood and watched the covenant take place, no the stood as participants! Our faith is not a "spectators sport" it is something that we need to participate in. I once heard a priest say that being catholic is not a noun or a nationality...it is a verb. At the last supper, Jesus said that "this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. (Luke 22:20)" What are you doing to be and active participant in the new covenant with Christ? How can you make sure that being Catholic isn't just a description, but it is what you do?

The other thing that really struck me was in the gospel Jesus talks about being wary of false prophets and "knowing a tree by its fruit." Are the people that you are following in your life leading you closer to God or farther away? I think that it is importation to look at our relationships and lifestyles and see who and what we are surrounding ourselves with. We know "good fruit" when we see it, that is the easy part. It is the letting go of our previous ways that is the difficult part. Are you looking at the things in your life everyday and asking "Is this leading me closer to God?" Once you recognize the "good and the bad fruit", what will you do to either increase the goodness or decrease the evil?

Father above, you know all things, and you know what we need. Send us your spirit to help us see the things that we need and that are of you. Help us to let go and cast away those things that are not of you and that do not lead us to you. Father in heaven, we ask this all through your name. Amen.