Goodness

Everyone is greedy and dishonest,
     whether poor or rich.
Even the prophets and priests
     cannot be trusted.
All they ever offer
to my deeply wounded people
are empty hopes for peace.
~ Jeremiah 6:13-14 (CEV)

You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. ~ Luke 6:44-45 (CEV)

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Ignore the glib fast-talkers and pay attention to those whose lives actually produce goodness.

PRAYER
God of truth, your word reveals my falsehood. Thank you for continuing to plant and prune, drawing forth fruit from my once-dead branches. Teach me not only to say peace, but to work to establish it throughout your creation. May I treasure the gift of the gospel above all else. May it guide my heart toward the good. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)