LET THEM GROW
God will reward each of us by doing good works and living our lives
fully in doing His will.
I would like to
start with this little prayer: "Lord, may your word take deep root in my
heart and that I may bear good fruit for your glory. May I hunger for your
righteousness now that I may look forward to the day of eternal life with
excitement and great joy." Amen.
In the Gospel of
Matthew Jesus uses common everyday examples of planting, harvesting, and
sorting the good fruit from the bad. God's word brings life. God will reward
each of us by doing good works and living our lives fully in doing His will.
Today the church
honors Saint Sharbel who brought forth good fruit through his labors. Born in
northern Lebanon in 1828, he was a Maronite Catholic monk and priest. His
reputation for holiness and simplicity led to his canonization in 1977. Descended
from the ancient church at Antioch, Maronite Catholics spent centuries isolated
from other Christian communities and appointed their own patriarch. Unique
among Eastern Catholics, however, Maronites have always remained in full
communion with the Church of Rome. When St. Sharbel was canonized, Bishop
Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, noted that Sharbel's
canonization and other Maronite beatifications prove that the Aramaic Maronite
Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of the Catholic Church.
In out Responsorial
Psalm we acclaim: Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. They are more
precious than gold, and sweeter than syrup.