Homily – Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Cycle II)

📖 Genesis 15:1–12, 17–18 | Psalm 105 | Matthew 7:15–20
🎯 Theme: “Faith That Bears Fruit – Pilgrims of Hope in a Promised Covenant”

1. Introduction 

A woman walked into a nursery, looking to buy a fruit tree. The assistant asked, “Ma’am, would you prefer a lemon, an orange, or an avocado?” She replied, “Whichever one gives shade, fruit, and won't ask me for water!”
Isn’t that how we are with faith sometimes? We want spiritual fruit without the deep roots, discipline, or effort! But Jesus reminds us today: You will know a tree by its fruit.

2. The Word of God

Genesis 15:1–12, 17–18 – A Covenant in the Dark

Abram is afraid and uncertain. He’s childless, old, and the promise of descendants seems far away. But God does something profound: He leads Abram outside and says, “Look at the stars... so shall your descendants be.”

Abram believes, and God seals that belief in a covenant—a sacred agreement, not based on what Abram has done, but on who God is. The mysterious ritual (cut animals, fire passing through) reminds us: God commits Himself fully, even through the darkness.

➡️ Message: God is faithful even when life feels dark and silent.

Psalm 105 – Gratitude Keeps Hope Alive

The psalm is a song of memory:

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name... Remember the wonders He has done.”

In South African spirituality, “go tlotla Modimo” (to honour God) often begins with remembering where He’s brought us from—through apartheid, through sickness, through poverty. We are a people of memory and testimony.

Matthew 7:15–20 – The Fruit Test

Jesus warns about false prophets—not only in society but in our own lives:

• Voices that tell us we’re worthless

• Influences that promise quick happiness but steal our peace

• Even churches or preachers who exploit rather than shepherd

How do we tell the difference? “By their fruits.”
Are they producing love, mercy, joy, justice—or fear, division, and greed?

But Jesus flips the mirror on us too. What fruit are we bearing?
If someone had to describe our faith by our behaviour—would they find grace, or just empty branches?

3. The Eucharist – Fruit of the True Vine

In the Holy Eucharist, we receive the fruit of the New Covenant—Jesus Himself, broken and given.
He is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15). When we are connected to Him, we don’t have to force fruit—it grows naturally:

• Peace in crisis

• Courage in hardship

• Compassion in a divided world

Here at this altar, we are nourished to bear fruit in our own communities—from the dusty townships to the leafy suburbs, from boardrooms to parish kitchens.

4. A Question for Reflection

What kind of tree am I in God's garden?
Am I leafy but fruitless? Rooted or just potted? Bearing love—or bitterness?

5. Daily Practical Application

Today, do one of the following:

• Speak life into someone who's discouraged.

• Uproot one toxic thought and replace it with a Gospel truth.

• Reflect on your own spiritual diet—what are you feeding your soul?

6. For Those Who Encounter Difficulties

To the person who feels they’ve failed God too often:
🧡 Remember Abram. God didn’t require him to have it all together. He just said, “Trust Me.” God meets us even in the dark, and walks between the pieces to restore the broken.

🌱 Sometimes fruit takes time. Trust the slow work of God.

7. What Can I Do During the Jubilee Year?

This Jubilee Year of Hope is a sacred time to:

• Reconnect with the promises of God

• Bear visible fruit in your family, parish, or society

• Join a ministry, plant a tree, mentor a young person, or start a weekly act of mercy

💡 Be a “Covenant Keeper”—one who lives out God’s faithfulness in small, hopeful ways. Pilgrims of hope are not just dreamers—they are doers.

8. South African Touch

In the rhythm of our land—from Cape flats to Limpopo valleys—hope grows in hard places. Let our lives be like marula trees: rooted deep, useful to many, and joyful in season.

9. Inspiration – Pilgrims of Hope

“You may be the only Gospel someone reads today. Let it be one of joy, justice, and love.”

You are a pilgrim of hope in a land still healing. Walk boldly. Live fruitfully. Trust fully. God has not forgotten His promises—and He has not forgotten you.

10. Conclusion – What’s My Fruit Telling the World?

As we approach the altar today, may we not just receive the Body of Christ—but become the Body of Christ in the world: visible signs of a God who remembers His covenant and bears good fruit in every season.

🛐 Short Prayer

Lord God,
You are faithful from generation to generation.
Teach me to trust You when the promise feels far off.
Help me bear good fruit in my words, my work, and my witness.
Make me a true pilgrim of hope, walking in love, rooted in grace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.