The Gospel reading in traditional Catholic churches today:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, and evil trees bring forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. So by their fruits you shall know them.

Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  (Saint Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 7)

* * *

God says we must judge self-styled prophets by their fruits (their actions).

Is it OK to judge the Catholic Church by its fruits, some of which have been disgusting?

* like child-molesting priests who have made it easier for those wanting to destroy the Church’s credibility.

* and historical injustices by the Church towards Jews — harming them, even killing them.

I have received criticism of yesterday’s blog-post, where I defended Pope Pius XII from accusations of “anti-semitism”, by quoting prominent Jews who said the opposite.

I concede that my life has been liable to turn people off the Faith. I pray to God to forgive me and change me.

I submit, however, that the same isn’t true of Pope Pius XII.

* * *

The Catholic Church claims to be God’s ongoing incarnation on earth today.

What it teaches is to be believed as an act of obedience to God.

The Church, in turn, is obliged to live justly, so as to make God’s goodness recognisable in our actions, not just our words.

Every individual Christian must regard himself as a “tree” in God’s vineyard. God has planted us in the good, fertile ground of the Church and “waters” us by his grace, received in the Sacraments of his Church.

The day approaches when God himself will arrive to see what kind of fruit you and I are bearing.