In Chapter 7 of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against following false prophets. He cautions: “You can tell a tree by its fruit.” (Matthew 7:20) In a sense, Jesus is including all of us in this teaching, saying that the fruit of our lives will reveal our true nature. Are we truly His sheep, or are we wolves in sheep’s clothing? Are we doing our part to carry out the Church’s saving mission and share the Gospel message through our words and the way in which we live our lives? Will the fruit that we bear with our lives show us to be followers of Jesus, or will it contradict what we claim to believe in?
It might be useful to look at what the Church has identified as the fruits of the Holy Spirit that people should see in those who are doing God’s work. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, we read: “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) How well do our actions reflect these fruits of the Holy Spirit? In response to anger, do we reply with love? Do we love only those who love us or do we love others unconditionally? Do we forgive? Do we get jealous of the good fortune of others? Do we have joy in our life? Are we grateful only when things go as we planned, or can we rejoice always in the Lord?
Do we have peace in our hearts or are we always on edge, unable to let go and trust God in all things? Are we patient, able to wait on God’s will rather than rushing in to satisfy our own will? Can we accept others and not pressure them to do what we want them to do? Do we share words of kindness, especially when there is hurt, anger, or pain? Do people see in us generosity, a willingness to give of ourselves at a time of need, thinking of others and not just of our own desires?
Are we faithful to our friends, our spouse, our employers, our teammates, to those to whom we have given our word?
Are we faithful to our baptismal promise to love God and others? Are we gentle, not harsh in word or action? Are we someone that others can go to? for forgiveness and understanding? Do we exercise self-control, not reacting, but responding to conflict with love, to temptation with resistance, and at all times with fidelity to God? The preceding paragraphs contain a lot of questions to ask ourselves – an examination of conscience, if you will. It does not hurt to examine our consciences every now and then to see if the fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident in our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to renew us and to help us bear fruit for God’s kingdom. By our fruit, people will know us. Our lives are a testament of our faithfulness to God.