The Holy Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphus
Nativity Fast
Galatians 5:22-6:2; Luke 10:19-21
Read Galatians 5:22-6:2
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The typical indicator of a fully grown creature is its ability to reproduce. A tree which is ready to produce seeds will produce fruit. This is the analogy that St. Paul uses to describe the same maturation process within the Christian life. As we mature as disciples of Christ, and especially through the Grace of the Holy Spirit, we begin to give ourselves away to others through the fruits that St. Paul describes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The soil that these fruits grow in is humility, which comes from the Latin word humus meaning earth or ground. Someone who is humble is not lying about their gifts or talents but are “down to earth,” honest with their own weakness and how God the Lord is. In other words, they are aware of the two most important truths of the beginning of the Christian life: 1. There is a God. 2. I am not Him. Once we have this rich soil brothers and sisters, we can work on cultivating it and allow the Lord, through His Holy Spirit, to grow these amazing fruits in our lives.