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A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Looking at the fruit can be helpful. It is hard to look directly and honestly at ourselves to gauge our own fruit. Yet we should be bearing good fruit. The Holy Spirit produces such fruit in the hearts of those who cooperate with him. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23). And if we have a hard time being honest about our gifts we can at least see when we fall short.
Looking at the fruit of time spent is useful tool for discernment. What is causing growth in the fruits of the Spirit in us? What is less so? We sometimes stick with activities out of duty or habit without really considering whether they are desirable or useful for us anymore even if, perhaps, they once were.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Looking at fruit can help us see which institutions and individuals are fulfilling God's will, even when they don't have a specifically religious brand. We can alley our own efforts with those of others who are bearing kingdom fruit and multiple our effectiveness. This keeps us from false prophets in sheep's clothing who do have a specifically religious brand but are nevertheless not working for the kingdom.
Abram bore good fruit by trusting in God's plan for him even when it seemed impossible. He walked in faithfulness and patience even before the LORD brought about his promise for him. In order to ensure that he was not misled he sought the LORD to see if good fruit would indeed result from the revelation and promise he had received.
"O Lord GOD," he asked,
"how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
It was in sacrifice that the LORD revealed to Abram that good fruit would indeed be born and the degree to which it would.
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
So too is our fruit meant to be so multiplied as to be beyond counting. In the sacrifice of the mass we can with greater purity see where true fruit is found. We look first to Jesus, the bread of life, and the giver of the Spirit. The Spirit is the fire that consumes the acceptable sacrifice, for "our God is a consuming fire" (see Hebrews 12:29). Filled with the Spirit around the altar of sacrifice our eyes are opened to where good fruit is found.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
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