Guarding the Command, Bearing the Fruit

September 20, 2025 Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Daily Readings: 1 Timothy 6:13-16; Luke 8:4-15

Paul, in his solemn charge to Timothy, lifts our gaze to the majesty of God and Christ Jesus. He reminds us that Christ Himself, before Pontius Pilate, bore witness to the truth without wavering. Timothy, therefore, is called to keep the commandments “without spot or blame” until the Lord’s return. The doxology that follows bursts forth with awe: Christ, the eternal Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, dwells in unapproachable light, unseen yet reigning with eternal dominion. Faithfulness is not a fleeting commitment; it is the steady keeping of God’s commands in the hope of His glorious manifestation.

The Gospel parable complements this charge by portraying how God’s Word is received. The seed is the Word of God, but its fruitfulness depends on the soil of our hearts. Some let the Word be snatched away; others welcome it with joy but lack depth; still others allow worldly cares and pleasures to choke its growth. Only those who hold the Word fast “in an honest and good heart" will bear fruit with patient endurance.

The two readings converge in their call for persevering with fidelity. Timothy is exhorted to guard the command of God until the end, just as good soil patiently nurtures the seed to maturity. Our discipleship, too, requires steadfastness: resisting distraction, rooting out our faith deeply, and enduring trials with hope.

Call to Action: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ, the Eternal Lord, and cultivate hearts like good soil, faithful, receptive, and fruitful, so that at His coming we may be found steadfast in His light.