Fruit Of Faithfulness

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine our faithfulness and ponder the fruit that results from the seeds we plant in life.

Bread for Life

In the Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts them to be grounded in God’s own pattern of behavior.

* [9:8–10] The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God’s own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as scripture itself attests (2 Cor 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 112 details the blessings received by those who remain close to God

* [Psalm 112] An acrostic poem detailing the blessings received by those who remain close to God by obedience to the commandments. Among their blessings are children (Ps 112:2), wealth that enables them to be magnanimous (Ps 112:3, 5, 9), and virtue by which they encourage others (Ps 112:4). The just person is an affront to the wicked, whose hopes remain unfulfilled (Ps 112:10). The logic resembles Ps 1; 111. (Psalms, PSALM 112 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John proclaims The Coming of Jesus’ Hour.

* [12:24] This verse implies that through his death Jesus will be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for eternal life.

* [12:25] His life: the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s natural life. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us. (John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ, reflects upon the phrase, “hate his life” or “Loves his life”, what can that mean! Try this on for further thoughtfulness and prayer.

Now imagine a person who loves his/her life so isolatedly that she/he holds the self apart from giving life, but only taking it in. This is not exactly “love”, but absorption. Yes, self-creation is not creation, but destruction. The seed has a built-in longing for its being more than a seed, but for fruit and life. The seed in one sense, “hates” itself for not being able to be fruitful merely by its “seedishness”. It needs the earth, the sun and the rains, quite dependent on that little seed.

We, as with the martyrs, have our interior battles between loving the self enough to hate radical self-preoccupation, self-establishness, and hiding. Like the seed, we love what God’s faithful love will bring to the lives of others by bringing life to, and so, through each of us. The great life to come is not a reward, but the final produce of a productive and creative life through our dying to our self-centered un-creational existence. Rather it will be a continuation of God’s creative love within, around and with us. God’s love, like the nourishing soil, sun and rains, serves us and so we serve God, in Christ, by serving God’s people. After all, serving others is a graceful way of loving the goodness of ourselves, good enough to live and give away. We cannot do it alone! (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The seed must die before being resurrected,” by Irenaeus, 135-202 A.D.

"A cutting from the vine planted in the ground bears fruit in its season, or a kernel of wheat falling into the earth and becoming decomposed rises and is multiplied by the Spirit of God, who contains all things. And then, through the wisdom of God, it serves for our use when, after receiving the Word of God, it becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, being nourished by it, and deposited in the earth and suffering decomposition there, shall rise at their appointed time. The Word of God grants them resurrection to the glory of God, even the Father who freely gives to this mortal immortality, and to this corruptible incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:53). This is so because the strength of God is made perfect in weakness (1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 13:4) in order that we may never become puffed up, as if we had life from ourselves, or become exalted against God with ungrateful minds."(excerpt from AGAINST HERESIES 5.2.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments in this letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes an appeal to help the poor in Palestine. The Gentiles will remember the poorer Palestinians than they in Greece and Turkey. God loves a cheerful giver who is generous without grudge or resentment. Some scholars have expressed that which is in excess is robbed from poor. The Gospel of John reminds us that the grain of wheat has to die. The Israelites had a ceremony for the death of the seed and our willingness to be generous. By generosity we are already living in eternal life. Friar Jude reminds us it is a measure of how caring and loving we are.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 comments that, like all martyrs, St. Lawrence received seeds of hope from the Lord, which grew into a harvest of heroism and a witness that has inspired millions.

Don’t think you have to keep scrounging in a dwindling interior silo. Instead, develop the habit of returning to your Creator. He takes joy in giving you all you need for a rich harvest of love and generosity.

“Father, give me all I need so that I am able to give to others!” (Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, explores how Franciscan mysticism invites us to encounter divine presence in our concrete, specific lives. People all over the world are rejecting the ideological (top-down) form of religion—and they should, because this is not the path of Christ himself.

By taking the mystery of the Incarnation absolutely seriously and gradually extending it to its logical conclusions, the seeming limitations of space and time are once and for all overcome in Francis. The Christ Mystery refuses to be vague or abstract and is always concrete and specific. When we stay with these daily apparitions, we see that everything is a revelation of the divine—from rocks to rocket ships. There are henceforth no blind spots in the divine disclosure, in our own eyes, or in our rearview mirrors. The only hindrance to our seeing is our own lack of fascination, humility, curiosity, awe, and willingness to be allured forward.

Franciscan spirituality emphasizes a real equivalence and mutuality between the one who sees and what can be seen. There is a symbiosis between the mind and heart of the seer—and to what they will then pay attention. Francis had a unique ability to call others—animals, planets, and elements —“brother” and “sister” because he himself was a little brother. He granted other beings and things mutuality, subjectivity, “personhood,” and dignity because he first honored his own dignity as a son of God. The world was a transparent two-way mirror for him, which some of us would call a fully “sacramental” universe.” (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the insight of the Spirit as we ponder the truth that full life requires a death to our focus on ourselves and our surrender to the Plan of God that we are seeds that will nurture our environment in our death to self.

References

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection August 10, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-10-2026 

John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12? 

Meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/10/1643161/ 

Psalms, PSALM 112 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/112?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Infinite in the Finite. Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-infinite-in-the-finite/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). If It Dies, It Bears Much Fruit. Daily Scripture Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=aug10a 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/9?6 

Grow with the Seed of Faith

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to sow the seeds of love and seek the generosity and patience needed for growth from our sowing.

Seeds and Separation of Weeds

The Reading from the Book of Wisdom offers a warning about defying God.

* [12:17] The brunt of divine anger and justice is borne by those who know God but defy divine authority and might. Cf. 1:2; 15:2, but also 12:27; 18:13. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 86 is an individual lament of the psalmist.

* [Psalm 86] An individual lament. The psalmist, “poor and oppressed” (Ps 86:1), “devoted” (Ps 86:2), “your servant” (Ps 86:2, 4, 16), “rescued…from the depths of Sheol” (Ps 86:13), attacked by the ruthless (Ps 86:14), desires only God’s protection (Ps 86:1–7, 11–17). (Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans proclaims that after patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the full harvest of the Spirit’s presence will be realized.

* [8:18–27] The glory that believers are destined to share with Christ far exceeds the sufferings of the present life. Paul considers the destiny of the created world to be linked with the future that belongs to the believers. As it shares in the penalty of corruption brought about by sin, so also will it share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God’s people (Rom 8:19–22). After patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the full harvest of the Spirit’s presence will be realized. On earth believers enjoy the firstfruits, i.e., the Spirit, as a guarantee of the total liberation of their bodies from the influence of the rebellious old self (Rom 8:23). (Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches using Parables of the Weeds Among the Wheat, the Mustard Seed, the Yeast and explains the Parables..

* [13:24–30] This parable is peculiar to Matthew. The comparison in Mt 13:24 does not mean that the kingdom of heaven may be likened simply to the person in question but to the situation narrated in the whole story. The refusal of the householder to allow his slaves to separate the wheat from the weeds while they are still growing is a warning to the disciples not to attempt to anticipate the final judgment of God by a definitive exclusion of sinners from the kingdom. In its present stage it is composed of the good and the bad. The judgment of God alone will eliminate the sinful. Until then there must be patience and the preaching of repentance.

* [13:25] Weeds: darnel, a poisonous weed that in its first stage of growth resembles wheat.

* [13:30] Harvest: a common biblical metaphor for the time of God’s judgment; cf. Jer 51:33; Jl 4:13; Hos 6:11.

* [13:31–33] See Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–21. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast illustrate the same point: the amazing contrast between the small beginnings of the kingdom and its marvelous expansion.

* [13:32] See Dn 4:7–9, 17–19 where the birds nesting in the tree represent the people of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. See also Ez 17:23; 31:6.

* [13:33] Except in this Q parable and in Mt 16:12, yeast (or “leaven”) is, in New Testament usage, a symbol of corruption (see Mt 16:6, 11–12; Mk 8:15; Lk 12:1; 1 Cor 5:6–8; Gal 5:9). Three measures: an enormous amount, enough to feed a hundred people. The exaggeration of this element of the parable points to the greatness of the kingdom’s effect.

* [13:34] Only in parables: see Mt 13:10–15.

* [13:35] The prophet: some textual witnesses read “Isaiah the prophet.” The quotation is actually from Ps 78:2; the first line corresponds to the LXX text of the psalm. The psalm’s title ascribes it to Asaph, the founder of one of the guilds of temple musicians. He is called “the prophet” (NAB “the seer”) in 2 Chr 29:30, but it is doubtful that Matthew averted to that; for him, any Old Testament text that could be seen as fulfilled in Jesus was prophetic.

* [13:36] Dismissing the crowds: the return of Jesus to the house marks a break with the crowds, who represent unbelieving Israel. From now on his attention is directed more and more to his disciples and to their instruction. The rest of the discourse is addressed to them alone.

* [13:37–43] In the explanation of the parable of the weeds emphasis lies on the fearful end of the wicked, whereas the parable itself concentrates on patience with them until judgment time.

* [13:38] The field is the world: this presupposes the resurrection of Jesus and the granting to him of “all power in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18).

* [13:39] The end of the age: this phrase is found only in Matthew (13:40, 49; 24:3; 28:20).

* [13:41] His kingdom: the kingdom of the Son of Man is distinguished from that of the Father (Mt 13:43); see 1 Cor 15:24–25. The church is the place where Jesus’ kingdom is manifested, but his royal authority embraces the entire world; see note on Mt 13:38.

* [13:43] See Dn 12:3. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

*

Rev. Kent Beausoleil, SJ, comments that in the end then, we find our hope through Jesus to be strong in love, for the spirit indeed does come in aid of our weakness.  In every human being, every human being, there is a soul that is longing and groaning for the truth. Let the Spirit come.

We all long for what is right and good. We all know this feeling. Let the Spirit come.  We can bury it. We can hide it. We can medicate it. We can do all kinds of things to push it away. Let the Spirit come.  

 

For there is an unrest or uneasiness with things that are not the way they are supposed to be. Let the Spirit come.  So, this day and always may we continue to find hope in a God who encourages us with the powerful truth that God’s love for us, all of us, will never die.  As God is merciful, we are called to be merciful, to judge not, to let the kingdom come, and wherever and whenever we are weak in love, weak in loving ourselves or others, we have a holy spirit that will come.  Let the spirit come then.  Let it come.  Let it come!  LET IT COME! (Beausoleil, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Faith as a grain of mustard,” by Jerome (347-420 AD).

"The man who sows in his field is interpreted by many as the Savior. He sows in the souls of believers. By others he is interpreted as one who sows in his field - that is to say, in himself and in his heart. Who is it that sows if not our mind and heart? They take up the grain of preaching and nurture the plant with the moisture of faith, making it sprout and shoot up in the field of the heart. The preaching of faith in the gospel appears to be least among all tasks. Indeed, anyone who preaches the God-man of truth, Christ who died, and the stumbling block of the cross may not think immediately of mere faith as the primary doctrine. Put this particular doctrine side by side with the teachings of the philosophers, their books, their splendid eloquence and fine discourses, and you will see just how small it is compared with the other seeds of the gospel plant. When those teachings grow, they have nothing to show that is pungent or vigorous or vital. Everything turns out weak and withering in a plant and in herbs that quickly dry up and fall to the ground. But when this tiny gospel teaching that seemed insignificant at the beginning has been planted either in the soul of the believer or throughout the world, it does not turn out to be just a plant. It grows into a tree, so that the birds of the air, which we interpret as the souls of believers or deeds dedicated to the service of God, come and dwell on its branches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.13.31)

[Jerome (347-420 AD) was an early church Bible scholar who translated the entire Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek texts into the common language of his day (Latin)]. (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Book of Wisdom speaks about the might of God .Yet God enlivens justice with mercy. Mercy is not weakness. and not a weak virtue. We are to exercise mercy when people are not worthy of it. Spirit, the love between the Father and the Son, teaches us how to pray as relational prayers to build true love. The Spirit reveals how to pray and what to pray for. The Gospel of Matthew presents parables dealing with the Kingdom of Heaven. It is likely the final editor of Matthew was a Pharisee and uses the Kingdom of Heaven. instead of the Kingdom of God. The farmer has his field filled with weeds from the enemy. Jesus teaches to wait until the harvest so evil people are given time to have the opportunity to convert .The will be a reckoning, in Matthew’s Gospel. The mustard seed is very small but grows to fill the garden. Friar Jude suggests that by smiling and forgoing criticism of someone it may be like the butterfly effect and change the course of the world over time. He also notes that considering mustard is a very invasive plant in the garden this may be a not so subtle message, like yeast in dough. Do small things and change the entire world.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43 comments that God’s work may have such tiny, unimpressive beginnings and grow so slowly that we barely notice it. This tends to be true in our spiritual lives, too. That kind of growth is often hidden, like the yeast that the woman put into “three measures” of flour (Matthew 13:33). We may not see dramatic signs of Christian maturity in ourselves or our loved ones right away. On the contrary, it can be easy to spot the “weeds” in our lives and our world that seem to take root and grow so quickly. And that can be discouraging!

That’s why Jesus encourages us to remember the mustard seed. He wants us to trust in the goodness of the seed of faith he has placed within us and in his Church. He wants us to keep looking for the green shoots of his kingdom. And he wants us to keep asking for the grace to nurture their growth in ourselves and the people around us.

So don’t worry! God’s work often starts off small and slow. He is faithful, and his seed will bear fruit!

“Lord Jesus, thank you that your grace is always at work. Help me to see it.” (Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, explains why both action and contemplation are part of a fully articulated life of faith. The most important word in our Center’s name is not Action, nor is it Contemplation; it’s the word and. We need both compassionate action and contemplative practice for the spiritual journey. Without action, our spirituality becomes lifeless and bears no authentic fruit. Without contemplation, all our doing comes from ego, even if it looks selfless, and it can cause more harm than good.

The contemplative, nondual mind is not saying, “Everything is beautiful,” even when it’s not. However, we may come to “Everything is still beautiful” by contemplatively facing the conflict between how reality is and how we wish it could be. We must face dualistic problems, name good and evil, and differentiate between right and wrong. We can’t be naive about evil, but if we stay focused on this duality, we’ll become unlovable, judgmental, dismissive people. I’ve witnessed this pattern in myself. We must eventually find a bigger field, a wider frame, which is nondual thinking.  

Beginning with necessary, dualistic action and moving toward contemplation seems to be the more common—and for some, perhaps the more trustworthy—path these days. We see this pattern in Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, and many others. Such people enter into the pain of society and have to go to God to find rest for their soul, because their souls are so torn by the broken, split nature of almost everything, including themselves. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we act in our environment among weeds with our seeds of faith, hope and charity and the humility and patience of Jesus to contemplate our actions with intent to be more like Christ in our mission.

References

Beausoleil, K. (2026, July 19). Daily Reflection July 19, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-19-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?24 

Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/19/1626334/ 

Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/86?5 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/action-and-contemplation/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?26 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Righteous Will Shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of Their Father. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/12?