It is 27th June 2018. We celebrate the memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church. The readings are from 2 Kings 22:8-13, 23:1-3; and the Gospel from Matthew 7:15-20. Anyone can drift away from the ideal and the principles once held so dear to heart. It could be the outcome of a new relationship, a new environment, and new life style. Most of us are confused who and what to believe in our lives. Everything that glitters is not gold. Everything we hear is not God’s Word. Every person we admire need not necessarily wishing good for us. How do we distinguish between the good and evil prophets and teachers? The people who seek their welfare and development over the common good trusting in money as the source of happiness are the false teaches and prophets among us. Can money and development alone solve all human problems? Our soul satisfaction never achieved with the material affluence. We are satisfied to the core when we have listened and followed the guidelines and commandments given by God. In the first reading, we have a role model in King Josiah who lived out the principles of a good leader. His immediate response to the rediscovery of the Book of the Law was listening and repenting. He encouraged and admonished the entire nation to obey and made a new covenant with God. The Responsorial Psalm prays, “Lord, teach me your statutes.” (Ps.118:33). The Gospel teaches us that the false prophets are the ones who think of their own pocket not the common pool. Our churches and institution speak of the radical option for the poor most of the time while struggling to minimize its personal comforts and personal spending on food, and luxury. We cry for justice and peace while we violently and verbally attack the welfare of the people within our institutions. The tension between spiritual life and temporal life is widening day after day and prioritizing to replace material things so swiftly matching to the worldly standard while neglecting the beauty and holiness of our inner temples are eaten by the termites of pleasure, lust and greed. Talking about faith is on the increase while neglecting the basic faithfulness to God, and the one whom we are committed for life. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Mt.7:15). We look for a ‘quick fix’ to problems and making our lives more sensational than spiritual. We want immediate solution and solving the complicated issues of life by all means even recourse to a false means and men. Let us never be tired of bearing good fruit however long have we been fruitful. Fruitfulness is for life not for the seasons only. Let there be a balance between life we live and word we utter. We will be known and admired by the fruits we bear in our lives. May Jesus be the One through whom we grow in Truth, love and Life. May you have a good day.

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