Reflection for Saturday September 13 Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Luke 6:43-49

Gospel: Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to 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. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

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Reflection:

Who is the foundation of your life? If Jesus is the foundation of your life, then you are in the hands of the most powerful foundation in this world. Nothing can defeat you, and nothing can destroy you, because your life is firmly anchored upon Jesus. 

But should we rest already and feel secure simply because our lives are anchored in Him? No. For as followers of Christ, we are not called to complacency but to mission. Our mission is to share the gentleness and love of Jesus with our fellow men and women. We must remember that we are the good tree that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel. And just as a good tree bears good fruit, so too must we share our fruit—which is none other than Jesus Himself. 

Let us not keep our love for Jesus locked within our hearts. Instead, let us radiate this love outward, so that others too may feel His tender embrace. Through our witness, they may experience the healing, the mercy, and the forgiveness of Christ—gifts that the world needs now more than ever before. 

For many live their lives without the guidance of Jesus. If we care to share Him even with just one soul, we have already fulfilled our mission as His faithful and fruitful followers. And who knows? Through our courage in proclaiming Christ, a single seed planted in love may transform lives beyond what we can ever imagine—simply because we cared enough to share Jesus. 

Will you keep Jesus only for yourself, or will you courageously share Him so that others too may experience His saving love? — Marino J. Dasmarinas