9781644135945

The Time After Pentecost
barren of good fruits and bearing only evil fruits of sinful thoughts, desires, and works. We are
evil trees when, though united with God and Christ through sanctifying grace, we do not take
seriously the cultivation of the divine life within us. We do not commit any grave sins, perhaps,
but we are not greatly interested in our growth in the interior life. We want to live comfortably
without effort, without being bothered by any fixed order of life. Being lukewarm, we prefer to
confine our religion to absolute necessities. “I would thou wert cold or hot. But because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth” (Apoc 3:15
f.). We are evil trees as long as we do not honestly take pains to grow interiorly in virtue and
perfection. We are a tree that produces leaves and blossoms, but does not bring forth any real
fruit. Our search for perfection, our Christian life, is motivated by our longing for honor and
esteem, by our desire for success, by our pride, which makes us want to be better than others.
We bring forth fruits, but the fruits are evil.
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.” The Church is a good tree. She is the tree “which
is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf
shall not fall off ” (Ps 1:3). The roots of this sublime tree lie in Christ. Out of Him and the infinite
wealth of His life, the Church in her sacraments continually draws fresh life, new strength
and fruitfulness. The Church throughout all ages has added new branches to her tree, bearing
pure and holy souls, and presenting them to her heavenly bridegroom. We also can be good
trees in the garden of the Church. Ezechiel saw us when he beheld the fountain going forth
from the temple, becoming a life-giving river along whose banks trees were planted, all richly
laden with fruits. The temple from which the fountain sprang is Christ the Lord. “And of His
fullness we all have received” ( Jn 1:16). We have grown together with Him, being His living
branches. “I am the vine; you the branches” ( Jn 15:5). The river is the grace going forth from
Christ, the Redeemer, being poured out over us by means of the Church and the sacraments.
We are the trees, bringing forth fruit in due time: the fruit of good works. Though the storms
of temptations, trials, and suffering may sweep over us, they are unable to lessen our vitality
and fruitfulness as long as our strength is rooted in Christ. We must draw our strength and
fruitfulness from Him, the holy fountain, the fullness of all that is holy, noble, pure, and strong.
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.” It is supremely important that we maintain
a vital union with Christ the vine and grow daily by becoming more intimately united with
Him. We must renounce with joy and determination everything that might be an obstacle to
our becoming another Christ. “Know, O Christian, thy dignity” (St. Leo the Great). Be a good
tree that brings forth only good fruit.
Having been planted in the garden of the Church as good trees, we have at our disposal everything
necessary for growth and fruitfulness. We must bring forth good fruit, fruit of a sincere
repentance and conversion, fruit of charity towards our neighbor. If anyone believes that he
loves God, but does not love his neighbor, he deceives himself; he is a tree that brings forth
no fruit. There can be no good tree which does not help others and does not practice charity;
a good tree shares its fruit with the poor and suffering, and is ready at all times to give even of
the little it may call its own.
“Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and shall be cast into the
fire.” Having been baptized, we belong to the Church and we must yield fruit. God does not
want empty trees; He wants fruitful trees.
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