Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (June 28, 2017): Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Ps 105:1-9
Matthew 7:15-20
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062817.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/17_06_28.mp3

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”

God says to Abram — and to us — in our first reading today, “I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.” What does it mean for God to be our shield? And what does this have to do with getting rewards?

Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading that we need to guard against — be shielded from — false prophets, i.e., people who lead us away from the truth, taking us on a side trip off the narrow road of holiness.

At first thought, we might assume that Jesus the Good Shepherd should shield us from the wolves who make our lives difficult and painful. But that’s the mentality of a person who’s caught in the snare of modern society; we want everything to be done for us. Jesus didn’t say he will keep the wolves from coming into our lives. He said, “Watch out!”

If we’re not watching, if we’re not vigilantly on the alert at all times, we let our shields down. And what is the shield? God is our shield, but to keep him in front where he protects us, we must have a good relationship with him. That requires conscious and constant effort. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, we become vulnerable to lies and deceptions and the trickery of false prophets.

The shield is not a barrier against pain. Look at Jesus on the cross: Even there he remained shielded! The shield is a barrier against becoming a sinner when the wolves attack.

God is always extending his protection to us. How often have we ended up in a painful mess, only to look back and realize that he had warned us to turn and go in a different direction? Other times, he leads us right to a wolf, but not before preparing us to safely stand up to it.

How well we handle each situation depends on how well we use what God provides. Do we work our way through it with love, forgiveness, patience, humble discernment of God’s will, and the energy to go the extra mile? If our relationship with God is good, we’re shielded from worsening the problem. We’re shielded from contributing to the sin.

The goal is not to avoid the wolves. The true goal of Christian living is to recognize the wolves and remain in God’s love and holiness. Then, when he tells us to move on to a safer pasture, we follow him. But more importantly, when the wolves experience his love reaching out to them through us, some of them will be converted into lambs!

The rewards for remaining behind the shield of God’s love are indeed great.

Lord Jesus: May Your Word produce plentiful fruits of salvation in me and through me. Make me an instrument of Your Spirit of Love to serve the plans of God the Father. Amen.