Bearing Fruit

July 28: Monday of Week 17 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Jeremiah 13:1-11; Canticle: Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21; Matthew 13:31-35

Thoughts to help us surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

“Like a mustard seed… like yeast.” Matthew 13:31, 33

Jeremiah’s buried loincloth rotted. Jesus echoed this in his parable about the man who “received one talent” and “dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” He thought he was keeping it safe, but he really made it useless (Matthew 25:14-30).

All God’s gifts to us are investments intended to bring increasing benefits to us and other people. Jesus compares his grace in us to a seed that grows into a bush so big “the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.” And to yeast, an active ingredient that causes the dough it is mixed with to rise. When Christians are mixed into any group—any business, family, or circle of friends—that group should rise to a higher level of understanding and love. If not, we have to ask whether those Christians have a live faith, a living hope, an active love.

Any parish that is not growing and attracting more people to “dwell in its branches” is a dead parish. Pope Francis wrote in The Joy of the Gospel (28):

In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is… a center of constant missionary outreach.

Is my parish that?

Jesus said, “I chose you to bear fruit.” But if we bury our faith in silence, the fruit may rot on the branch.

PRAY: “Lord, let me do more.”

PRACTICE: Discuss this with your pastor.