Christian Foundation!

Saturday, September 13, 2025

1 Tim 1:15-17; Lk 6:43-49

Today’s Gospel gives us an answer to what constitutes or should constitute a Christian life. 

More often than not, we get so carried away by the externalities of life that we lack appreciation for inner beauty. In his teaching, Jesus reorients us with thoughts on what Christian life should be founded upon. 

Right Disposition: Oftentimes, we tend to obscure the place of the heart in Christian moral life. But, through his teaching, Jesus reclaims the primacy and relevance of the heart for evaluating Christian life. In Jesus’ view, a heart that is rightly ordered is a heart that is aligned with God’s will. For this reason, Jesus strongly recommends that we look beyond appearances and examine our hearts. Does my heart resemble a good or rotten tree? Does it produce figs or thorn bushes? We must not forget that our thoughts and actions reflect the treasure inside. It is the beauty of the inside that we often manifest externally. 

Moral Integrity: Jesus talks of two different foundations to explain the importance of moral integrity. Because moral integrity is known by the congruence between what we say and how we live, Jesus holds that we must be the same person in public and private. Thus, Jesus commands authenticity when it comes to believing in and living the Gospel. Hence, in Christian understanding, obedience to Christ and truthful observance of the Gospel call are what make up a rocky foundation. We may realize the truth of Jesus’ statement only when our lives are marked by the constant thirst to act on his words. 

Let us pray that we may produce good fruit by leading an authentic Christian life. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar