“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them” (Mt 7:15-16).
So as not to be taken in by false prophets within in our Church and society, and most importantly, so as not to be wolves in sheep’s clothing ourselves, we need to know the Shepherd. We need to know, as St Irenaeus (whose feast we celebrate on Saturday the 28th) described: Jesus, “who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself” (p. 526 Against Heresies, Book V, Introduction). Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, who entered into and embraced our fallen and wounded condition to become fully human while remaining fully divine, came to shine a light in our lives.
Jesus came to reveal those sinful acts which estrange us from God and one another. Jesus came to show us the value of our unique dignity as human beings, the wonder of God’s creation that we are, and empower us so we may restore our likeness to God and deepen our relationship with God and one another. In allowing Jesus to come close to us and getting to know him, he through his love and light, will reveal to us those road blocks that prevent us from following his way.
How can we know Jesus today since we are removed from the time of the Apostles?
One practice is to follow the encouragement of Pope Francis who invited us to read and prayerfully reflect upon the Gospels each day and Pope Leo XIV who in his first audience on May 21 said that, “every word of the Gospel is like a seed that is thrown on the ground of our life.” Especially, during this Season of Ordinary Time we may receive these “seeds”, the teachings of Jesus, through the daily Mass readings. Reading them on our own is a powerful daily practice that allows us to come to not just know about Jesus and his teachings but to know him.
This does not happen by just reading the words on the page with the sole intent to finish it and move on to something else, so as to complete one more task. Instead we are invited to read slowly, meditatively, and prayerfully. We can read a section as in today’s Gospel about knowing true disciples from false prophets. Reading through a section three to four times or more until we feel a movement within from the Holy Spirit guiding us to ponder a particular verse or word is helpful.
We then stay there with Jesus by mediating on a word or phrase from the Gospel that peaks our attention. We may receive an insight, an intuition, a confirmation, a sense of excitement, a challenge, or a question. We can also be confused, perplexed, or frustrated. We can also place ourselves in the scene as if we are watching a movie and allow through our imagination our senses to come alive and pay attention to what arises.
Another gift of encountering Jesus in the Gospels, that some may not recognize as a gift, is that we will naturally be drawn to examine our conscience as we read and ponder the life and teachings of Jesus. We don’t have to read long to experience how challenging Jesus’ teachings are. In pondering today’s account about a bad tree bearing bad fruit, some of our own bad fruit may come to light: selfishness, greed, judgment, gluttony, lust, pride, indifference, sloth, envy, wrath, or others.
This in not an invitation to experience shame. This is Jesus’ invitation to identify, repent, and confess and to turn to God to receive his forgiveness, mercy, and love so that we can be transformed. Jesus’ call to repentance is an invitation to prune those branches within us that bear such fruits. The discipline of repentance and confession that leads to pruning will provide more energy and nourishment for those good branches we have so they may flourish with the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, chastity, goodness, generosity and self-control.
It is important to sit with what we experience from a meditative and prayerful reading of the Gospels. The Holy Spirit will reveal insights and experiences of consolation and joy. It is just as important to be willing to wrestle with passages that challenge us, that we do not understand, or disagree with. Each experience provides us with the opportunity to ponder and discern what God seeks to reveal to us.
Through a daily commitment of reading, meditating upon, praying with, and allowing the Gospels to come alive in our hearts, minds, and souls, we be drawn to deeper moments of quiet contemplation, and we will encounter and grow in our relationship with Jesus, Mary, and the apostles. That which we have received in each prayerful time of reading, we can then carry with us throughout the day to call upon and experience rest with him as needed.
I have been drawn to remain with and pray with the same verse for the past week during my holy hour: Jesus, “went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). I have been seeking to put God first in my life more and more, and letting go of any attachments and disordered affections that may be leading me astray. What a gift Jesus has given me to step away for an hour each day to go up on the mountain and pray with him.
As we experience the Gospels with a pondering and prayerful approach, we will grow in our relationship with Jesus and know his voice. With his guidance we will better identify those apparent goods, temptations, and false prophets who seek to lead us astray. In trusting in, being obedient to, and putting into practice Jesus’ teachings, we will better know the truth of who we are and who God calls us to be. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus we will not lead others astray but help them to encounter Jesus so that they too may experience his love, mercy, forgiveness, and rest for their souls.
Photo: Bishop Barron link captured from YouTube introducing the Word on Fire Bible, Volume I: The Gospels. I have found the Word on Fire Bible a great resource for reading, prayer, and study. Also, great for those who are just beginning or are looking to return to reading and praying with the Bible.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 