Bear good fruit or God moves on!

 

For the first couple of weeks of Lent we are reminded again and again of how much God loves us.   God is strengthening us so that we know his love is unshakable and we can look deeply into our hearts.   In our hearts we can find all sorts of things.  The cob-webs of a Christian life grown stagnant are there.  Some of the spaces might be very cold, where the winter of selfishness has set in.  We may find other spaces dark where the light of Christ has grown dim.    Even if we have to face the monsters of our hearts, we've been told, "God Loves Us" no matter what.  God is there even in those places, but wishes us to bear good fruit.

 

In today's gospel the message begins to get hard.   God tells us he expects us to bear good fruit.   We've been given God's Kingdom to tend.  As it says in the Eucharistic preface for the Solemnity of the Christ the King:  "A Kingdom of truth and life, A Kingdom of holiness and grace,  A Kingdom of justice, love and peace."  

 

On the Second Friday of Lent,  we are asked to look into our hearts and ask:  Has my life born the fruit of truth, life, holiness, grace, justice, love and peace?   It is very much like the fast God wants which we heard at the beginning of Lent.  We are told the fast God wants is feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, setting people free.    This is the fruit God expects from his vineyard.   If our lives haven't been producing that fruit, we are given the chance to begin again during Lent. Let's not miss this opportunity.

 

God's desire for this kingdom is great; the gospel says God will take the Vineyard away (but not his love)  from those who don't bear good fruit and move on to another group who will.   Hard words for our ancient ancestors in faith to hear, and hard words for us to hear today.

 

Ask yourself,  "Am I producing good fruit or sour grapes?"