You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

Matthew 7:15-20

 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,  

but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.  

Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into 

the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them".

 

What takes us away from the reality of the living presence of God 

on Earth is the crooked workings of our minds, the wish to be comfortable, 

to always seek pleasure, to avoid pain at all cost, and our own efforts 

to "save ourselves".

 

With our minds we interpret, assess, calculate, in other words we judge.

This is unavoidable, it is the formation and conditioning of our environment, 

"of the world".

 

But as Catholics we are called to NOT FOLLOW the world, the mind of 

the world, the thoughts and the ways of the world.

 

We live IN the world, but not OF the world. The Bible tells us to not judge.

 

The fact that every individual is unique, and therefore each one of us have 

our own individual experience and interpretation of all and every event and 

situation, makes it clear that we need to carefully discern the contents of our 

minds.

So many people have also had the personal experience of having been tricked 

by the workings of their own minds, never mind the manipulations and 

dishonest trickery done by others.

 

The mind is a wonderful tool, which ought to be properly utilized and optimized. 

Bearing in mind that it works much like a computer; it functions according to it's configurations.

If there is a problem with the configurations, there will also be constant problems 

with running the programs.

The way to avoid being trapped in the mind, is to wholeheartedly follow 

the Word of God. 

To trust in God with your entire life and all life situations; with your body, 

intelligence and willpower. For that to be possible we need a high level of 

awareness, which can only be achieved by a dedicated prayer life and nourishment 

in the Sacraments of the Church.

As Saint Therese of Lisieux pointed out; it is in the everyday small gestures,

actions and words that we grow in the love of God, and where we manifest Him.

What you do in small things, you will do in big things, it is about the 

configurations of our heart.

Luke 16:10-14:

"Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be 

trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little 

things will be dishonest in big things too. If you cannot 

be trusted with worldly riches, you will not be trusted 

with the true riches. And if you cannot be trusted with 

the things that belong to someone else, you will not be 

given anything of your own. “You cannot serve two 

masters at the same time. You will hate one master and 

love the other. Or you will be loyal to one and not care 

about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at 

the same time.” The Pharisees were listening to all 

these things. They criticized Jesus because they all 

loved money."

The small actions we do, reveal who we are.

 

It could be for example someone who tells you in a moment of potential need that you 

can not depend on them, despite declarations of love. 

That is not love, true love is always 

manifested in actions, not in words.

  

For the Church; what are the fruits of Vatican 2, the "modernization",

"moving with the times",  that has followed?

 

Before the second Vatican council God was Absolute, Immovable, Unchangeable.

God has not changed, but the church has walked away from God and follows the 

world instead, whatever way the wind blows, political champions of the climate 

and of mass immigration and globalization, LGBT rights and even participating 

in the highly immoral segregation of church goers according to their vaccination 

status. 

The bishops are lost, they are weak because they have gone away from the 

absoluteness of God and are now just following the world.  

Novus Ordo Mass goers today have no problem to receive The Body of Christ

every Sunday, even though they might not have been to Confession for years 

or even decades. 

Many Catholics are in fact Protestants in their practice of the Faith, so

I think it is safe to say that the fruits of  V2 are rotten. 

 

Since Vatican 2 the subjective interpretation of the Gospels mixed with the 

personal opinion of those who are responsible for passing on the teaching 

and the precepts of the church has caused nothing but confusion and loss of 

Faith. 

 

Those who have believed that it was up to them to make the Gospel 

"more relevant" only revealed that they themselves did not understand it, 

because you cant make the Word of God "more relevant", 

it is ALWAYS MAXIMUM RELEVANT, and not to be interfered with.

 

The theology of the Church is of metaphysical and supernatural nature.

The aim is, that while grounded in earthly life, for Man to be reconciled to 

God while still on earth.

 

Unlike Muslims, for whom life with God concerns exclusively the after-life, 

they do not have the Only Mediator between God and Man; Jesus Christ.

Muslims believe that Jesus was a Prophet, but do not believe that He is God.

 

The relationship with God must start here in this dimension, before our 

physical death, hence the importance of good catechism and catholic education. 

Remember that Canon law was the basis for Civil law in Europe, upon which 

was built strong powerful nations; rich in culture, scientific development and 

community.

That is not to say that I am delusional in regard to the many imperfections, 

injustices, horrors and grave errors there has always been in society, 

and they are the fruits of Man's fall from grace, 

we are ALL sinners and need to repent.