Gospel Reflection For The 30th day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2024

Gospel

Matthew 13:36-43

or

Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor of the Church

Gospel

Luke 6:43-45

Again today, we have two options for the Gospel. I will discuss the second because in Matthew 13, our Lord is still explaining the parable of the sower, which we have dissected at length already. The passage from Luke is also very complimentary to the message of the first.

43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

As I write these Gospel Reflections at least six months in advance, today is a cold January day. It is the day of the New Hampshire primary, and I am praying that President Trump will win by a very large margin. While I don't want to focus too much on politics in this reflection, it does seem appropriate to today's Gospel. As the saying goes, Donald Trump is no choir boy. He is certainly not Catholic, he has been divorced multiple times and he can be profane. But, when we examine the fruits of his first term in office, we find peace and prosperity. All the “good Christian” presidents proceeding him who promised to overturn Roe v. Wade never did anything to accomplish that goal. Most, including the evangelical George W. Bush never even attended the March for Life. President Trump may have been the most unlikely Christian president. But, he got it done through choosing Catholic Supreme Court Justices. In contrast, our “Catholic” president, Joe Biden has brought us nothing but chaos and inflation, he promotes abortion and sexual deviancy, and has brought us to the brink of World War 3.

Truly, you may judge the tree by its fruit. Sometimes the good tree has the least likely appearance. Sometimes the one that seems better is rotten and poisonous. This should not surprise us, because our Lord promised to confound the wise and often used the most unlikely of people. Moses had a speech impediment, Saint Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and Saint Paul was a murderer. Actually, Moses and Saint Paul were both murderers! God never condemned them. He invited them to repentance and used them as powerful tools for his glory.

Catholic doctrine has always taught against gossip. But, the Catechism and several popes have gone much further. We are told to not discuss or even remember a person's faults and the bad things they have done in their past. This is very difficult, as we are supposed to judge the fruit to know the tree. When I worked in journalism, I struggled with this a great deal. Political reporting and investigative journalism are all about researching one's past actions to inform the present. The potential to negatively effect a person's life was a major reason why I left that field. But, it is not possible for us to make informed decisions about a political candidate without a free press that can be very nasty and unfair. In our personal lives though, we must strive to be more charitable. We must remember our own mistakes and how we have learned from them. As Fr. Spirago advised, we should not be “looking out of our windows at neighbors.” It is very easy to see the faults of another – far easier than our own. But, even when we do see their faults, so long as their actions are not putting another at risk, we have a duty not to discuss them. Perhaps, very rarely, it would be appropriate to give such a person advice with the goal of helping them. It is never appropriate to gossip or to feel superior.

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Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4

and

Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK

His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic