THE WORD
2 Kgs 22,8-13; 23,1-3 / Mt 7,15-20
Jesus said: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or gs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the re. So by their fruits you will know them.”
IN OTHER WORDS
There are plenty of mango trees in Palawan. During the fruiting season beautiful and big mangoes are a common sight. However, people may not take any mango fruit or seedling out of the island province because the trees are infected with weevil. A ripe mango fruit is likely to have weevil larvae embedded inside. Weevil larvae are very destructive to plants and grains.
“See, how they love one another!” This was a beautiful description of the first Christians made by those who observed them. People saw how they loved and served one another. Certainly, the first Christians were known by their fruits, their acts of love and service to one another and to others.
Church leaders, both the hierarchy and the laity, have been harping on the importance of family and family values. Unfortunately, many parents have been remiss in their responsibility of rearing their children according God’s plan. To some extent, parents have abdicated their role as models to their children. Now, we see many children who turn out to be problematic because of lack of parental guidance. Parents are supposed to act as prophets to their kids, but sad to say, some have become false prophets, false teachers to their kids because of their bad example As we honor today the two martyrs, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, we would like to ask for their intercession, that, like them, we may be able to act as true prophets to the world, resisting anything contrary to the will of God.
- Fr. Antonio O. Pegon, SVD | Tagaytay City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
