The Fruit of the Heart

"...For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, 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." (Gospel of Luke) This excerpt comes from today's Gospel, and the message is so important, powerful and relevant to the readings and message of today. The fig tree is mentioned a lot in the Gospels as it's a reflection of many things. In today's Gospel reading, it signifies the goodness of one's heart and intentions and what kind of fruit they bear. As is mentioned in Galatians 5, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

On Friday's (3/1/19) first reading from the book of Sirach, it mentions friendship and finding true friends by testing them first. "...Keep away from your enemies; be on your guard with your friends. A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself."

This resonated with me since it can be too easy to trust someone without first fully knowing or testing them. It is also very true that a faithful friend is a treasure and beyond price. In the book of Sirach it also states, "Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant." Just last Sunday, there was a Parish Priest who passed away suddenly and it was all very shocking and sad. Thinking about this priest and what I saw of him made me think and reaffirm that he was fairly closed and didn't reveal very much about himself. I and I'm sure others may question why since it seemed that the community didn't get to know him very well and perhaps vice versa.

I myself find that I can be closed at times and not open. Sometimes it's due to the fact of my personality, my comfort zone or just not wanting to reveal things which depending on my audience, a person may not relate with or understand. I do think it is often wise to be this way as the book of Sirach states. However, I also find it's just as important to become the friend in yourself that you want to attract. Jesus knows our hearts and he is the most intimate, compassionate and forgiving friend of all. When I get down that I don't have real friends to confide in this uplifts and reassures me and gives me great confidence in God. In today's first reading from the Book of Sirach, it's the 'true colors' so to say or the exposing of the heart and mind of a person that is tested. "...The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested." 

I have fallen in love with Venerable Fulton J. Sheen's writings and teachings. Currently, I am reading his most stimulating spiritual book, Peace of Soul. While reading the Magnificat reflection from Friday, I was pleasantly surprised that it was from Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. It was a beautiful, and rich meditation about the gift of an unhardened heart and I want to share some of it here. "Once you realize that God is your end...you begin to see that friendship, the joys of marriage, the thrill of possession, the sunset and the evening star, masterpieces of art and music, the gold and silver of earth, the industries and the comforts of life, are all gifts of God... He intended them to be bridges to cross over to him... Begin with your own emptiness and seek him who can fill it... Look at your heart! It tells the story of why you were made. It is not perfect in shape and contour, like a Valentine heart. There seems to be a small piece missing out of the side of every human heart. That may be to symbolize a piece that was torn out of the Heart of Christ which embraced all humanity on the cross. I think the real meaning is that when God made your human heart, he fond it so good and lovable that he kept a small sample of it in heaven. He sent the rest of it into this world to enjoy his gifts, and to use them as stepping stones back to him."

I will close with a reflection from Saint Bede: "The treasure of the heart is the same as the root of the tree. He who has in his heart the treasure of patience and perfect love, brings forth the best fruits, loving his enemy, and doing the other things which have been taught above. But he who keeps a bad treasure in his heart does the contrary to this." One of the devil's most damaging lies- it seems to be so close to the truth - is that only by first bearing good fruit can we then become good trees: We imagine that our own good works and merits must precede, or cause, God's love. How, then, do we acquire this treasure of patience and perfect love? How do we become good trees? By rooting ourselves in Jesus; by turning to him incessantly, filling our hearts with him."