Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
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May 15, 2020The cross was made of wood, and wood is from a tree. Jesus says to love one another as he loved us, and by doing this to bear fruit.
If we think about it, we can say the cross was a great fruit tree. It bore fruit from Jesus’ love.
The cross has 2 types of beams, horizontal and vertical. The vertical beam points up towards God. As a human Jesus showed us how to love God. Jesus in a sense laid down His Divine life, leaving heaven to do the Will of the Father to become one of us.
Then there is the horizontal beam. Jesus showed us how to love each other. He laid down His life while he was alive, living in ways the Pharisees and His own family and friends did not understand for others.
Teaching to help Samaritans, lepers, crossing boundaries with sinners. He died to Himself for others. Then He literally died His human life for us to be saved.
This is fruit. Fruit that gives life. The fruit of giving of self for others to build the Kingdom the Father wanted. Then to die sinless and pay off the debt of our sins, for us to be in Heaven also.
We must bear the same fruit. Jesus said unless we all pick up our crosses and carry them we cannot be his disciples. Our crosses bear fruit. We must die to our self for God first and foremost. To be attentive to prayer, committed to prayer, especially when we do not feel like it or like going to church.
We must then die to our self for others, for our spouse, for our children, for our neighbors, for our coworkers, for the people we judge, for the people we do not like, for the people we might be afraid of.
When we show them all love either by doing things for them, especially when we do not want to, or giving up something for them, maybe for our spouses or children, so they can enjoy something they want or want to do, or by just engaging with a smile or conversation or anything for those we judge or are leery of.
When we do this, we die to ourself, and we will bear the sweet fruit of the cross tree nourishing us for heaven.