WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE INTENTIONS OF THE HEART.
Undoubtedly, our words and actions are intentions of the goodness or badness of our hearts. The Christian life and faith are not just an external display of superficial piety or religiosity. It is a steady, constant, deep spiritual growth and development that bears fruits of goodness, especially in the ways we live and interact with others.
Therefore, the uprightness of the heart comes from the introspection of spiritual growth from within the Christian Soul.
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT MEMBERSHIP OF A CHURCH
Christianity is not about membership of a Church or being a member of a movement, group or organization within the Church. It is not also about going to Church, wearing religious habits or sacramental articles.
It is the interior transformational life that changes us to be people open to the grace of God. A balanced spiritual life influences us on how we can relate with others in all ramifications of thoughts, words and actions. It is a life of “interiorization” and transformation that brings out the best in us, not a settlement for mediocrity.
OUR THEME
This Sunday’s scriptural readings invite us to be mindful of our thoughts and words to others. They challenge us to be more contemplative and less talkative as Christians. Equally, the readings create consciousness in us not to be judgmental of people. Since we never know their life histories and struggles humanly or spiritually. It is God alone who has the right to judge us.
In other words, the readings encourage us to focus on our personal spiritual growth as Christians and to become an embodiment of goodness. It is only a Christian with a thorough spiritual life who, then, can help his brothers and sisters.
The truth is that those who are struggling with human and spiritual failures or weaknesses. Or better put only those who know failure and are open to divine grace can understand the struggles of others and sympathize with them.
We are supposed to stay clear of every form of self-righteousness that makes us belittle others. At the same time, we should be less judgmental or critical of the weaknesses of others. We must allow the grace of God to touch us and make us docile to be more tolerant of others.
In practical terms, the readings help us to see that Christian life is not a guilty-bound or fault-finding life. This is what a religious-conscious mind does, while spiritually-minded people seek to help others grow by uplifting them in their struggles in life.
THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE READINGS BY FR ANTHONY KADAVIL
Jesus draws our attention to practical points of Christian living and challenges us to use our words as he used them in his preaching and healing ministry. He invites us to heal the sick and restore human brokenness to wholeness with encouraging words.
Equally challenging us to bring back life, joy, and hope to the troubled soul. Today, the readings also instruct us to share our Christian life, love, and spiritual health with our words. We must avoid gossiping about and passing rash, thoughtless, pain-inflicting judgments on others. Thus damaging their good reputation and causing them irreparable harm.
FIRST READING: SIRACH 27: 4-7
The author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus known as Sirach presents us three images of our ways of speaking and the notable outcome they produce.
First, the process of sieving grains of testing earthen vessels in the kiln, and the fructification of a cultivated tree. These reveal their stuff or quality to all. In the same way, how we speak or talk does not just unveil our personality or character. It shows our thought pattern or mindset as a person.
For the author Sirach, the words we use when we talk reveal what is in our hearts. The richness or quality of our hearts depends on the kind of words from our mouths. The caution is to study a man by his words before trusting in him. Invariably, the best form of interacting as a Christian is to live out the fruit of silence. This produces or bears an internally enriching life with ourselves and with God.
In summary, this teaching of the Book of Sirach serves as an excellent preview for the gospel of today. That is, it reminds us when we want to be judgmental, to think before we speak because what comes out of our mouth reveals our heart.
PSALM 91 OR 92
The responsorial Psalm (Ps 91/92) advises us to spend our time praising and thanking God for all His blessings. Rather, to spend it on idle talk, criticism and judgmental attitudes of others.
The psalmist encourages us to sing praises at all times and in every age and season of life. It is the most effective way of overcoming idleness and talkativeness.
SECOND READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 54-58
Paul offers a hymn of the victory of Christ over death. If we persevere in the work of God, we should never give up or need not fear death. Faith is a product of silence and inner conviction. This is what assures us of triumph in all circumstances. Even in the face of severe criticism or harsh judgment and even with death.
In the second reading, St. Paul advises the Corinthian Christians to be faithful and steadfast. He admonishes them to be firm, steady and always devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labour is not in vain.
In the real sense, he was like animating the Corinthians instead of wasting time on useless and sinful conversations, which bring punishment rather than the victory of the resurrection and eternal reward.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 6:39-45
Jesus condemns our careless, malicious and rash judgments about our behaviour, feelings, motives, or actions towards others. By using the funny examples of one blind man leading another blind man with the illustrative irony of one man with a log stuck in his eye, trying to remove a tiny speck from the eyes of another person.
Hence, Jesus encourages integrity and speaks against the hypocrisy of Christians. According to Jesus, people draw goodness from the store of abundant goodness in their hearts. Judgement and criticism are products of a noisy soul, a sad or embittered mind and a hypocrite.
BASIC FACTS OF THE GOSPEL
No spiritual un-liberated or un-illuminated person can guide someone grope in the dark of ignorance and arrogance. Can a blind person guide another blind person?
Jesus warned that no teacher can lead his scholars beyond the stage he has never reached. That is a double warning to us. In our learning, we must seek only the best teacher, for only he can lead us farthest. In our teaching, we must remember that we cannot teach what we do not know.
Jesus teaches us that we have no right to criticize unless we are free of faults. That simply means that we have no right to criticize at all.
The fact is that there is so much evil in the best of us. Just like there is also so much good in the worst of us. Such that, it will be becoming for any of us to find fault with the rest of us.
He also reminds us that a man cannot be judged in any other way than by his deeds
THE GOSPEL IN OUR LIVES
Our teaching and preaching are supposed truth displayed through our personalities. Fine or beautiful words will never take the place of deeds. That is very relevant to practical Christian life today.
For Jesus, the only way to prove the superiority of Christianity is to show by our lives that it produces better men and women.
THE HEART OF A MAN
Equally, Jesus reminds us that the words of our lips are in the last analysis the product of our hearts. No man can speak of God with his mouth unless the Spirit of God is in his heart.
Nothing shows the state of the heart of man, so well as the words, he speaks when he is not carefully considering his words. When he is talking freely and saying, as we put it, the first thing which comes into his head.
CHRISTIAN MATURITY
Indeed, one of our positive goals is to develop a kindly attitude toward our fellow Christians. It is for us to help them and leave it to God to judge them.
Without some inner silence or quietness from the rancour of internal noise within us, we cannot hear God or recognize his divine presence in our lives.
The truth is that neither of us with the habit of silence from deep inside can grow from within as human beings Christian believers. This is the bedrock of our Christian faith and maturity.
According to Jesus, people draw goodness from the store of abundance in their hearts. Goodness doesn’t blossom without help; we need to cultivate it and make it grow in the depths of our hearts.
LIFE MESSAGES FROM THE READINGS
1. We should avoid judging others because no one except God is good enough to judge others.
2. God sees the whole truth and can read the human heart. He alone has the ability, right, and authority to judge us.
3. We have no moral ground to judge others because we do not see all the facts or circumstances. We do not know the power of the temptation which has led a person to do something evil.
4. We are often prejudiced in our judgment of others. Total fairness cannot be expected from us, especially when we judge those near or dear to us.
5. We have no right to judge because we have the same, or if not, more faults than the people we are judging. Most times, we are often worse than them to a greater degree. St. Philip Neri commented, watching the misbehaviour of a drunkard: “There goes Philip but for the grace of God.”
6. Hence, we should leave all judgment to God and practice mercy and forgiveness.
7. We also need to pray for grace to avoid all forms of hypocrisy in our lives. Let us remember the warning and saying: “When you point one finger of accusation at another, three of your fingers point at you.”
8. We need to build up a deep interior where spiritual life is rooted in the silence of our hearts. Where goodness wells up us in the form of kind thoughts, words and actions towards others.
9. The spirit of criticism, the attitude of judgment and gossip are not only signs of internal noise. They are also signs of emptiness, lack of human and spiritual charity and kindness.
10. Today, the greatest threat or problem to our spiritual growth, wellness, and harmony is gossip and backbiting in the Christian community. They are lack of charity and kindness to our brothers and sisters. They are also signs of insensitivity to ourselves and others.
11. An enriching spiritual life is more contemplative and soul-searching, while more talking makes us less godly and more empty and noisy internally.
12. A life or leadership of mediocrity where a blind leads blind people is a doom for all at any cycle of life.
Jesus warns against self-righteousness. We must turn to God in our hearts to purify our innermost intentions. This is what King David meant when he prayed, “Lord, create in me a pure heart; put a steadfast spirit within me.”
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, we are accustomed to noise and agitation in our hearts and voices around us. We don’t respect the wellness that can come from silence and being alone. Often, we are so eager for news, images and impressions that we forget how to nourish and enrich the deepest depths of our being: our soul. Help us to be still and know you are God. So that from, the silence of hearts comes gracious, meaningful and thoughtful words that uplift our listeners and enrich our soul, spirit, and life. Amen
