Beware of false prophets... By their fruits you will know them

We can pretend to be what we really are not, but sooner or later our true nature reveals itself—in our actions, in our attitudes, by our “fruits.”

- 

Nowadays, there are many ways by which deception is carried out, but mostly by means of nice words and gratuitous promises, the illusion of quick gains without sweating it out, and just plain claims about things without real basis in reality. During election time, particularly, politicians can promise us even the moon, and even if we already know their past, we still allow ourselves to be duped by them.

Indeed, as in Jesus’ time, there are many false prophets vying for our attention and loyalty. But our Lord reminds us: look at the fruits that they bear; for it is really impossible to hide what one’s true nature is. The rotten fruit will eventually show itself. Hence, there is need of constant vigilance and discernment about what people say or promise us.

The more people promise the good life, easy gains, without the element of the cross, the more likely are they to be false prophets. Real prophets are not afraid to speak the sad or inconvenient truth; they speak only what God wants them to.