EACH TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS OWN FRUIT (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR II (10th September 2022

Homily for Saturday of the 23rd week in the ordinary time year II 10th September 2022

Theme: Each tree is known by its own fruit

1cor 10:14-22; Luke 6:43-49

The first reading of today speaks to us of the spiritual fruitfulness or dividend of the Holy Eucharist as the symbol of unity and communion of the church: the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1cor 10:16-17).

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, our participation in the Holy Eucharist, drinking of the one chalice and eating of the one bread  reaffirms our spiritual and mystic bond with Jesus and with one another; that in the midst of all our multiplicity in the church, we are one; Hence, we are brothers and sisters.

There are indeed different kinds of union that can be spoken about in the church: union birthed by hearing and assimilating the word of God by faith; union born out of the sacrament of Baptism; union proceeding from our imitation of Christ Jesus for our moral growth; then union birthed by our participation in the Holy Eucharist. It is good to note that in the Holy Eucharist we share the life of Christ, just as the fruits share the life of the tree. It is this union in the Holy Eucharist that keeps the unity and love of the Church, for by celebrating the Eucharist, the church expresses her fellowship and communion as the mystical body of Christ. 

Friends in Christ, do you shy away from the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, which is at the center of the worshipping life of the Christian community? Do you disassociate yourself from the reception of the Holy communion in the scarifice of the mass? Do you now realize the place of the Eucharist in your Christian life?

Remember,  you cannot take your share at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. You cannot partake of the chalice of the Lord and participate in the cup of demons. You cannot serve both God and mammon (Mt 6:24). For those who think they are smart and cunning, living double lives (Christian in the day, occultic member at night) you are treading upon the anger of the Lord. The patience of the Lord avails you the opportunity of repentance. Turn yourself to the Lord and be saved. 

In the Gospel reading, we heard the declaration of Jesus: "Each tree is known by its own fruit" (Lk 6:44). "The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks" (Lk 6:45).

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, a man or woman is known via no other way than by his or her deeds. The actions of the human person are representations of the thoughts of the heart. An evil heart begets evil deeds, and a good heart will beget good deeds. No one can speak of God and of the things of God unless the person has a good heart. No one designates respect for human dignity if not first conceived within a good heart otherwise an evil heart breeds contempt for human dignity. Our characters are representations of the quality of our hearts. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, what kind of heart do you possess? What kind of fruits do you bear? Is your heart submissive to the dictates of God?

Jesus compares the one who hears his words and acts on them to the solid foundation of a house. He says,: "He is like a man building a house, who dug deeply, and laid the foundation on rock; when glood arose, the river burst against that house, but could not shake it, because it had been well built" (Lk 6:47-48).

Friends in Christ, as Christians, in the journey of life we are continually building our own respective houses. The question we must ask ourselves is: what kind of foundation did I lay? How solid and firm is the foundation upon which I build? Is the foundation rooted in Christ, the solid rock? Remember, whatever a man builds, in that he must dwell for all eternity. It is either a shelter to protect us or a ruin to fall upon our heads.

We pray that the graces of God may continually nurture our hearts to produce sound and good deeds in all that we do in life.

Have a pleasant day

Fr Remi osj