Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. – Psalms 119:34

       How do you react to instructions? MJ leads a team of eight. He regularly emails his team, often with a cold tone.

         His boss read one of the letters MJ sent to his team. He told MJ to make it more personal and more fun. MJ found this order silly and had no clue how to carry it out.

       He went to a workshop about understanding different personality types. He learned he’s the dominant type, which explained his style of composing emails. But as a leader, he learned he should cater to all personality types. If he prefers short and straight-to-the-point communication, others may have different preferences.

        It wasn’t his personality to mingle, encourage others and make things fun, but MJ started to put in more time, effort and compassion. Their relationships and output in the team improved dramatically.

         MJ needed more insight to his boss’s instructions, and the workshop provided just that. In today’s Psalms, God is asked to give us insight to observe His teaching. It takes humility to admit we lack understanding, to ask for it, and the miracle of His grace to receive insight. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@yahoo.com)

Reflection: Is there a teaching in the Bible that confuses you? Ask the Holy Spirit today to enlighten you on this in a special way.

Jesus, help us understand and appreciate the beauty of Your teachings.

Corruption seeps into every level of leadership. Once it is rooted in the structures, corruption becomes endemic and difficult to eliminate. We must never get involved in corruption but always be a part of the solution to it. Even when it is difficult, we should continue to stand for what is right and never give in to sin and corruption.

2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3

8 The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the temple of the Lord.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. 9 Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple and have consigned them to the master workmen in the temple of the Lord.” 10 The scribe Shaphan also informed the king that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book, and then read it aloud to the king. 11 When the king heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments 12 and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah: 13 “Go, consult the Lord for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found, for the anger of the Lord has been set furiously ablaze against us, because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book, nor fulfill our written obligations.” 23:1 The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned together before him. 2 The king went up to the temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great. He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant that had been found in the temple of the Lord, read out to them. 3 Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the Lord that they would follow him and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this book. And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.

Psalm 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

R: Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

33 Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of your statutes, that I may exactly observe them. (R 34 Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. (R) 35 Lead me in the path of your commands, for in it I delight. (R) 36 Incline my heart to  your decrees and not to gain. (R) 37 Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain: by your way give me life. (R) 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; n your justice give me life. (R)

One way of discerning if someone is a false prophet is by the fruit that his life bears. Sometimes the fruit can be good, but Satan can imitate many of the things the Holy Spirit does except for humility. If there is a lack of humility in a person or ministry, then be warned.

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

15 Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So by their fruits you will know them.”

think: We must never get involved in corruption but always be a part of the solution to it.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

SANCTITY AS SEEN IN THE FRUITS

Jesus’ instruction on false prophets in today’s Gospel are strong warnings against the so-called wolves in sheep’s clothing. He gives a sure-fire, foolproof litmus test: “By their fruits you will know them.” Take note that He said, “by their fruits,” not “by their roots.”

       Prophets, genuine or otherwise, can have colorful backgrounds, solid credentials, and credible reputations. But depending on the results they produce, whether their pronouncements and teachings translate into sincere and genuine manifestations in the lives of their listeners and adherents, remains to be seen. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” as the saying goes.

       We see this in the lives of our saints for today. We have a choice of three, and we can take our pick as far as our liturgy is concerned. (They’re all optional memorials for today: St. Paulinus of Nola, Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More.) The nice thing is that each one of them will do in exemplifying our point above. Their canonization by the Catholic Church is the official seal of approval. Their lives are worthy of our imitation. The saints are the “poster boys or girls” of living out Jesus’ teachings. But lest we think that the whole thing is just for the likes of them, let us not forget that the call and challenge to sainthood goes out to each of us as well, with equal urgency and seriousness.

       “Small-letter-s” saints — that’s what we can be, and that’s what we strive to be. And even without beatification and  canonization, may we all have the fruits to show for it. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTIONs: What fruits does your life bear? Can they be classified as good fruits?

Help me to bear fruit for Your Kingdom, Lord. May my life shine Your light to the world. Amen.