Reflection for September 12 Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time: 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:

What will happen to a child when they are taught proper values and when those same values are lived out by their parents? We can hope that the child will grow up to become a good, responsible, and God-loving person. This is often the beautiful fruit of parents who patiently teach their children what is right and, more importantly, strive to live out those values themselves.

On the other hand, if children are not taught proper moral values and their parents do not live by those same values, we can expect them to grow up with a distorted sense of right and wrong. This may happen because they were neither taught these values nor given a good example of how to live them. Children learn not only through our words but also through our actions. They watch us, listen to us, and often imitate what they see in us.

In our Gospel reading this Saturday, 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” (Luke 6:43–44). In our reflection, we can see the parents as the tree and their children as its fruit. The quality of the fruit tells us something about the tree from which it came.

Jesus reminds us of the profound responsibility entrusted to us as parents and as adults who influence the lives of children. Whatever good values we teach our children can become part of who they are. But even more powerful than our words is the witness of our lives. When our children see us praying, forgiving, showing compassion, speaking honestly, respecting others, and loving God, we are planting seeds of faith and goodness in their hearts.

Our children may forget some of the words we tell them, but they are less likely to forget the example we have shown them. Our lives can become a living lesson that they carry with them as they grow older.

Many modern parents are always busy. Because of work, responsibilities, and the many demands of daily life, they sometimes have little time to teach their children good moral values, much less to nurture in them a love for God. This should challenge all of us. What kind of spiritual and moral foundation are we building for our children? Are we giving them enough of our time, attention, guidance, and love?

Let us remember that raising children is not merely about providing for their material needs. It is also about helping them discover God, teaching them the difference between right and wrong, and showing them through our own lives what it means to love, forgive, serve, and remain faithful.

Let us therefore strive to become the kind of “good tree” that bears good fruit. Let our homes become places where faith is lived, where forgiveness is practiced, where love is freely given, and where God is not merely spoken about but truly welcomed into our daily lives.

For the fruit that our children bear tomorrow may very well be influenced by the seeds we plant and the example we give them today.

What kind of “tree” are we becoming, and if our children are the fruit of our example, what kind of fruit are they seeing in our lives?—Marino J. Dasmarinas