Word to the Wise
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - Wednesday in the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 and Matthew 7:15-20]By their fruits you will know them.
One of the more interesting, and usually pleasant, tasks that comes my way occasionally is to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of someone who is applying for a position or program of some sort. In most cases, I will know that person well enough to write a good letter. I will know what they are generally capable of doing or learning. Occasionally all I know (important as it may be) is about their moral and/or intellectual character. This may be very good but they may well be applying for a position that requires particular skills about which I have no way of offering an assessment in their regard. In this case there are no "fruits" by which I can know them! The same situation has applied when, as a director or local superior, I have been in the position of hiring someone or allowing someone to assume a position of responsibility. They may well have letters of recommendation and even have the skills required by the job, but will they have the requisite "people skills" that will make them effective in the position? As a novice master I learned by experience that some very promising candidates could turn out to be big problems, and some seemingly risky guys would turn out to be genuinely good friars. All of this arises in my mind when Jesus says, "By their fruits you will know them." This means that ultimately discernment carries with it a measure of risk! The risk comes in the patience required to wait till the "fruits" are manifested! False prophets and surface believers were a big challenge in the early Christian community. There are references throughout the bible to false prophets who mislead the people. The problem is both ancient and contemporary. In the tumultuous years right after the Second Vatican Council, it was often difficult to determine who was "true" and who was "false!" As a Dominican student brother (seminarian) I saw many of my friends run after attractive speakers who inevitably brought them to ruin. It takes time and sometimes agonizing patience to discern the truth about a person. Wisdom, experience, observation, intuition - all of these have an important role to play. One must pray that the Holy Spirit will sustain the community in the process and enable the right decision to be made! AMEN
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