1 & 2 March 2025, 8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
This weekend we find ourselves on the threshold of the holy season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is just a few days away, and the Church invites us to prepare our hearts for this sacred time of renewal and repentance. Today’s readings provide a powerful meditation on the fruits of our lives—our words, actions, and behaviours—which reveal the state of our hearts. They challenge us to examine whether we truly reflect Christ in all that we do.
In the first reading, Sirach tells us, “The kiln tests the work of the potter, the test of a man is in his conversation” (Sir 27:5). Just as a tree is known by its fruit, so too are we known by what comes forth from within us. The Gospel today echoes this theme as Jesus teaches, “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness” (Lk 6:45). What fills our hearts will inevitably shape our words and actions – so we must ask ourselves, “with what am I filling my heart?”, “what am I allowing to shape and cultivate my heart?”
It is easy to deceive ourselves, to think that outward religious observances are enough, while harbouring attitudes, thoughts, and behaviours that contradict the love and mercy of Christ. Likewise, we can be fooled that our internal piety and prayer is sufficient while my words are harsh, angry, resentful (“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).). St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds us that we are called to something far greater. He proclaims the victory of Christ over sin and death, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57). If we are in Christ, if His victory is our victory, then our lives should reflect this transformation which has happened to the reality of our souls.
With Ash Wednesday approaching, the Church calls us to conversion—not just an external show of penance, but a deep, inward renewal of the heart. This is where today’s readings challenge us. If our words are harsh, if our actions are unkind, if our thoughts are judgmental, then we must ask: What is taking root in our hearts? What fills the storehouses of our souls? If we are to bear good fruit, our interior life must be shaped by Christ.
Lent is a twofold journey: an interior purification by grace (in prayer and the sacraments) and an external effort to overcome sinful habits (our co-operation with that grace). A well-known saying captures this reality: “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Though its origin is uncertain, this wisdom speaks profoundly to the work of Lent. Our interior lives—the thoughts we entertain, the desires we cultivate—inevitably shape our outward actions and habits. Yet the place where we can shape our hearts is through the conscious choice to work on our words and behaviours. If we desire to bear good fruit, we must be vigilant in both areas: purifying the heart (and allowing God to do this in us), and disciplining our behaviours.
St. John Henry Newman wrote in a sermon “A man is not what he is in his fine moments, but what he is in his daily life and routine”. This reminds us that our faith is not merely about grand gestures but is revealed in the way we treat others in our daily lives, in the consistency of our love, and in the everyday fruit of our character. Lent is the perfect time to align our daily actions with the heart of Christ.
Lent provides us with three traditional practices—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—which can serve as tools for this transformation. But we must not see them as mere obligations. Rather, they are opportunities to prune what is dead in us, to cultivate what is good, and to let the grace of God bring forth new fruit.
Firstly, prayer must be at the centre of our Lenten journey. If our words and actions reflect what fills our hearts, then our hearts must be filled with Christ. Are we spending time in prayer each day? Are we allowing the Word of God to shape us? Consider setting aside extra time each day for Scripture reading. Let the Gospel shape your thoughts and actions. Meditate on the words of Christ so that HIS words become the foundation of your speech, rather than those of the television, radio, politicians, or worldly ‘gurus’. Jesus asks, “Can a blind man lead a blind man?” (Lk 6:39). Without prayer, we remain spiritually blind, unable to discern the will of God or bear the fruits of holiness. A helpful practice is the Daily Examen, where, in the evening, we reflect on our words and actions from the course of the day. Where have we built others up? Where have we torn others down? As Sirach reminds us, “The orchard where a tree grows is judged on the quality of its fruit” (Sir 27:6). A life rooted in prayer will produce the fruit of virtue.
Secondly, fasting is not merely about giving up food; it is about emptying ourselves of whatever distracts us from God. Just as a tree must be pruned to bear fruit, so too must our souls be stripped of sinful attachments. Yes, the corporeal sacrifices we make are spiritually fruitful. But our fasting can also extend to our behaviours. For example, if our words tend to be negative, gossiping, or harsh, let us fast from these habits and instead practice words of encouragement and blessing. Jesus tells us, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Lk 6:45). Fasting from unkind words is a powerful way to cultivate a heart filled with charity. If we struggle with impatience or anger, we can fast from reacting impulsively, practicing silence before responding and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our words. St. Philip Neri, known for his joyful holiness, reminds us, “Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life; therefore, the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits”. Perhaps this Lent, we can fast from complaining or negativity and strive instead to be a source of joy for those around us.
Thirdly, almsgiving, the final pillar of Lent, ensures that our faith is not merely personal but is lived out in acts of love and mercy. The psalm today proclaims, “The just will flourish like the palm tree and grow like a Lebanon cedar” (Ps 92:13). Those who live justly, with hearts open to the needs of others, will bear the fruits of eternal life. Do our actions reflect the generosity of Christ? Are we reaching out to the lonely, the poor, the suffering? Almsgiving is not only about giving money; it is about giving of ourselves. This Lent, we should make a concrete plan to practice generosity—whether through acts of kindness, volunteering, or supporting those in need. True charity is sacrificial, mirroring Christ’s ultimate gift of Himself on the Cross.
As we reflect on the call to bear good fruit, we can look to St. Bernadette, the patroness of this parish. She was a simple girl of humble origins, yet her heart was filled with faith, and she bore the fruit of deep humility and perseverance. Even when she was ridiculed and doubted, she remained steadfast in her witness to Our Lady of Lourdes. She once said, “I shall spend every moment loving”. That is the essence of bearing good fruit—to let every moment of our lives be filled with love, patience, and faithfulness to God, important fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The psalm today reminds us that “The just will flourish like the palm tree and grow like a Lebanon cedar…still bearing fruit when they are old” (Ps 92:13-15). The Christian life is a life-long journey of constant growth, of becoming more like Christ each day, over the whole course of our lives. Lent is not simply about denying ourselves; it is about transformation. It is about becoming trees that bear the fruit of Christ’s love, trees that provide shade and nourishment to those around us.
Let us then turn to God in the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Lord, take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become what You want me to be.” May this Lenten journey shape us into true disciples, that when Easter dawns, our lives may more perfectly reflect the love and mercy of Christ. Amen.