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† Sunday 25th February 2001 Theme: By our fruits will we be known A reading from Ecclesiasticus 27 : 4 - 7 The true test of a person is in their conversation. The temptation in commerce or business to sweet talk, to make the hard sell, can be our undoing, “for the defects of man appear in talk.” Just as, “the orchard where the tree grows is judged by the quality of its fruit, so a man’s words betray what he feels.” This piece of ancient Old Testament wisdom, prepares us for the gospel where Jesus speaks of integrity and the need for the humble acceptance of our faults so that we can begin to correct them. First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 15 : 54 - 58 Paul will develop the theme of sin and death in other letters. Here the apostle urges us, “Never give in, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vein.” For Paul believes that death and sin have been destroyed by Christ, “So let us thank God,” he says,”for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel according to Luke 6 : 39 - 45 Again Jesus addresses his would-be disciples, which includes us too! He invites us to enter into a radical sharing with the poor by an effective implementation of all that he teaches. We are warned against hypocrisy, deceit, pretence and falsehood in our dealings with other people and even in our relationship with God. We all know how easy it is, “to observe the splinter in the brother’s eye and never notice the plank in our own.” Today, Jesus urges us, “Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.” The Season of Lent begins with the blessing and distribution of Ashes on Wednesday 28th February 2001 which is a day of Fast and Abstinence.
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