Bearing Fruit.....

We have heard over the past few weeks teachings of Jesus which call us to repentance, that is, to change our lives in whatever way necessary that we may follow the risen Lord more faithfully as His Disciples. The image of the fig tree bearing fruit or the tenants in this weekend's Gospel giving back to the Lord the first fruits of their vineyard (our lives!). What would this "fruit" look like? What would a truly faithful disciple say and/or do? Here the Scriptures give us a solid clue.

Notice the following:
-"Love one another," Romans 12:10; 13:8; 1 John 4:7, 11, 12; John 13:34, 35; John 15:12, 17; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23; 2 John 5
 - "Outdo one another in showing honor," Romans 12:10
- "Live in harmony with one another," Romans 12:16; 15:5
 - "Instruct one another," Romans 15:14
- "Greet one another," Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Peter 5:14
- "Agree with one another," 2 Corinthians 13:11
- "Become slaves to one another," Galatians 5:13
- "Wait for one another," 1 Corinthians 11:33
- "Have the same care for one another," 1 Corinthians 12:25
- "Encourage one another," 1 Thessalonians 4:18
- "Be at peace with one another," Mark 9:50
 - "Seek [the] advantage of the other," 1 Corinthians 10:24
- "Bear one another's burdens," Galatians 6:2
- "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another," Ephesians 4:32
- "Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom," Colossians 3:16
- "[Bear] with one another in love," Ephesians 4:2
- "Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another," Galatians 5:26
- "Be subject to one another," Ephesians 5:21
- "Be hospitable to one another without complaining," 1 Peter 4:9
- "No longer pass judgment on one another," Romans 14:13
 - "Confess your sins to one another," James 5:16
- "Pray for one another," James 5:16.

Notice how so many of these sage recommendations have to do with how we live with and for one another. Community is an essential ingredient of being a fruitful disciple of the risen Lord. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with you," is a teaching from Christ. That's one dimension, the horizontal dimension, if you will. It is the cross beam. The vertical beam, so to speak, is loving the Lord with all our heart, mind and spirit.... At the foot of our cross, to use this as an image, lie our things, our possessions. They either are holding up our cross (the vertical and the horizontal beams) or they are making it unsteady or actually preventing the cross from standing. Fruitful disciples have all three in harmony - a goal for which we strive as St. Paul tells us this weekend as well.

Joseph+