The First Reading from the Book of Sirach, the Responsorial Psalm (#92) and the Gospel of St. Luke this Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, all use the image of a “good” tree and its fruit—and then likens them to “good” speech and a “good” soul.
 
“The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.” (Sirach). The Psalm tells us that it is good to give thanks to the Lord (good speech!) because then we will flourish like a palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall we grow. “They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish…bear fruit even in old age, be vigorous and sturdy…” St. Luke writes what Jesus says in instructing His disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit…and from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” We are shown to be what we are by what we say (and do)—whether from the “store of goodness in our heart, or a store of evil.”
 
The Living Liturgy writes that we as people sometimes assume masks with each other. Jesus’ message is to be and act consistently with who we are—that ultimately who we are will eventually be clear to all anyway as we go through life together—but it is a matter of choosing, too. Sirach says “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks…so in tribulation is the test of the just.”  Do your moments of tribulation—of sadness, sorrow, anger, disappointment, fear, injustice, envy and temptation—cause you to step away from your Christian discipleship and mission? This is a good question to ponder as we turn toward the Lenten season this week and turn inward for reconciliation and prayer.
 
All these readings today speak about the fruit of our words: what we say to each other can kill our spirits, injure our hearts, destroy our relationships, and tear down the very temples of our physical beings. Our words may also show us to be doers of God’s Word: saving and salving our spirits, shoring up the edifices of our hearts, spreading God’s grace and mercy to those around us. A tree is known by its fruit—whether for good or evil. Time to choose…
Keep singing!

​Elizabeth Dyc

This Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear explicit instructions from Jesus about how to behave with one another: “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; pray for those who mistreat you…” The whole list of instructions boils down to what is called ‘The Golden Rule.’  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Simple and thought-provoking—this should stop us in our tracks as we open our mouths or act in ways that are selfish, angry, vengeful, mean-spirited and intolerant. Jesus goes on to remind us to stop judging and condemning one another—that all we do will come back to us—one way or another.
Virtually all the world’s major religions say that you cannot separate your love for God from your love for your neighbor. Even the nonreligious will affirm the idea of the Golden Rule. Some form of the Golden Rule has been around for thousands of years, but we seem to have lost a sense of its importance and its transformative power. Now is the time to reclaim the neglected common good and to learn how faith might help in that important task. Our public life could be made better, transformed, healed and enriched if only our religious and social traditions practiced what they preached in our personal lives; in our families’ decisions; in our work and vocations; in the ministry of our churches, synagogues, and mosques; in our collective witness. In all these ways we can put the faith community’s influence at the service of this radical neighbor-love ethic that is both faithful to God and to the common good.
 
The common good also requires concern for the entire world community.  In 1963, Pope John XXIII introduced the phrase “universal common good” in the Catholic social tradition in recognition of the duty to promote the good of our neighbors around the globe as well as at home. If love is truly your purpose and path, it is time to double down on prayer. It means praying through participation in the life of our government and society, and through creating a civic order that reflects goodness, justice, mercy, and compassion—this is the very heart and dream of God for all of God’s children and God’s creation. 
 
As we near the introspective season of Lent, we might decide that for Lent (and forever) we will all try to live by the golden rule—that would be challenging—but worth real consideration. We are reminded by St. Paul today that though we are like Adam—earthly—we also bear the image of the heavenly one—Jesus. I guess the question that we need ask is one we have all heard before: “What would Jesus Do?”
Keep singing!

​Elizabeth Dyc