Good Fruit

Homily for Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Irenaeus, a second-century bishop and Father of the Church who may be best known for his frequently cited quote: “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.” What exactly did St. Irenaeus mean by “fully alive?” One obvious answer to that question is that something or someone who is fully alive would not be hiding something that is dead or rotten. I’m sure that you have all had the experience of biting into an apple which looked perfectly sound on the outside, but when we bite into it, we find a spot or a section that is discolored and obviously rotten. If we apply that example to a human person, we would be talking about someone who looks as if they are healthy and of sound judgment, but who upon examination reveals a hidden secret.

St. Matthew records that Jesus warns us about such people and describes them as ravenous wolves who are dressed in sheep’s clothing. This is a rather colorful way to describe a con man or a hypocrite. Such people prey upon trusting people. Anyone who has an email account has probably received a letter from someone masquerading as a friend who says that they have been stranded in a foreign country without any money. Another familiar email deception is the letter that tells us that if we would send them the number of our bank account, they will share with us a large bequest. Almost no one will fall for such proposals or promises. However, about one half of 1% of the people who receive such emails will respond positively. It is that small number of people to whom these predators are reaching out. This has become such a problem that when one buys a gift card to send to a friend, the clerk will always warn that such gift cards are non-refundable and that such gift cards should not be sent through the mail.

Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us not to judge one another. Now we are told that we must discern who is good or who is bad by looking at their actions. Judgment and discernment are two different things. We must always be discerning people who put their trust only in those who bear good fruit. In that respect we need to listen to the advice that St. Paul gives in his Letter to the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” We are to discern, not so much the internal disposition of other people, but the quality of their deeds. At the same time, we must examine our own lives to see if we are producing the good fruits of the Holy Spirit.