Wednesday, June 22, 2022, | Ordinary Time

Matthew 7:15–20: A Tree can only be a good tree by love.

The theme of today's Gospel is "A tree that bears its fruit," and this is also Jesus' command to his disciples to be careful and attentive. Jesus applied that golden rule to distinguish between good and bad human behavior. According to the common cultivation practice, a good tree will bear good fruit; and vice versa; a bad tree can only bear bad fruit.

Throughout the history of the Church, we have countless true prophets who are considered good trees that bear many good fruits.

Today I want to talk about a good tree with many good fruits. This good tree is Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, a Vietnamese Cardinal who is a powerful testimony of faith, hope, forgiveness, and love. Cardinal Van Thuan's writings and spiritual insights are written in prison, where he celebrated the Mass in secret with a drop of wine in the palm of his hand.

Bishop Francis Thuan was appointed as archbishop of Saigon in 1975, but his office was short-lived as he was arrested and detained by the communist govement and was put in prison for 13 years.

Despite ill-treatment from prison guards, the archbishop maintained steadfast in faith and hope. He said, "In moments of great suffering, sometimes when I wanted to pray, I could not. I was often desperately tired, sick, and hungry; I was tempted to despair and rebel. But the Lord always helped me."

Instead of self-pity, Bishop Thuan saw the time in prison as an opportunity to come into closer communion with Christ, increasing his love, which he could then pass on to others.

As a prisoner, he underwent the most brutal torture and dehumanization, but Van Thuan always strove to love very prison guard who mistreated him. Some of the guards were so moved by his example they later converted to Christianity. Van Thuan would later write, "…only Christian love can change hearts, not weapons and not threats…it is love that prepares the way for the announcement of the Gospel. Omnia Vincit Amor "Love conquerors everything."

He was persecuted for his religious belief but maintained preaching about forgiveness, reconciliation, and love till the very end. Now, the Church recognizes him as a heroic, holy man. He is on the road to beatification and canonization.

He is a true prophet, a good tree that bears good fruits. The fruits of sacrifice, forgiveness, compassion, loving God with all heart, and sincerely loving neighbors, even enemies. As the cardinal Francis, we are all called to be true prophets, good trees that bear good fruits by forgiving, hoping, and doing good deeds. We are called to be good trees by loving others as Jesus did. And We are called to be good trees by being another Christ who loves others until the end. We are created to be good trees not bad tree. So, today let us be good trees that bear good fruits through love because a tree can only be a good tree by love.

May God bless us all.