Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 84
Reading I
When a sieve is shaken, the husks
appear;
so do one’s faults when one speaks.
As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace,
so in tribulation is the test of the just.
The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had;
so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.
Praise no one before he speaks,
for it is then that people are tested.
Responsorial Psalm
R (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to
give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing
praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your
faithfulness throughout the night.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar
of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall
flourish in the courts of our God.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and
sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in
whom there is no wrong.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility
and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,
then the word that is written shall come about:
Death is
swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters,
be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples a parable,
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
What we say defines who we are as much as what we do. Our words can either condemn us or enforce the person we really are. The truth is a very powerful thing and is the one thing that remains unchanged by outside influences or actions. The ultimate truth, as we know, is God from where all good things flow. If all good things come from God and He is the ultimate truth, then all revelation must ultimately come from Him. The answer to all things has Him as its primary source. Understanding this should give us pause when we speak or when we do something. Is God at the center of what we say and do? As Christians, this should be something to contemplate. What is the guiding force in our lives? What motivates us daily? Words do have power. When something is said, it remains as a permanent record with us at its source. They are capable of shaping people’s perception of us and defining who we are, offering a window into our thoughts and what is important to us. Because speech is our major source of communication, it is the primary way of interaction with other people. They can either have a negative effect or a positive one based on how we use them. Wisdom dictates that we choose what we say carefully, knowing that they will leave a lasting impression. When we fail to communicate what we think or how we are feeling, we can become frustrated. A lack of temperance will develop which can lead to our emotions getting the best of us. Our thoughts become disorganized, whereupon an emotional response will develop instead of a logical one. This is where we start to say things that we do not mean and do things that we do not want to do or are not in our best interest. We become our worst enemy instead of our greatest advocate.
In Buddhism, one of the tenants of the Eightfold Path is Right Speech, which will lead to enlightenment and a proper life. It teaches that what is spoken should not be an untruth, harm others, or be for a negative purpose. In Sacred Scripture, the Wisdom Books speak of proper speech as much as proper conduct. Negative thoughts lead to negative emotions, which leads to negative speech and action. There will never be a positive result coming out of something that is rooted in the negative, regardless of the circumstances. As Jesus said,
“The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy.”
What we say reflects our soul and where we are in relationship with God. Are the teachings of Jesus and our relationship with Him guiding us or are we being dictated to by the allures of this world and what society offers? Keeping a chaste mind and heart leads to positive thoughts, words, and action. We can easily self-justify when we embrace that which is negative, but why do we have to self-justify it in the first place when it is arguably, in our eyes, the right thing to do? If we find ourselves defending something that we said or did, then we have already lost the argument.
Twice the analogy of a good tree bearing good fruit is used today, once in the Book of Sirach and once when Jesus is speaking to His disciples. Our soul is the center of our being. If it is aligned with God, then we are in a State of Grace. This means that we are in a proper relationship with Him. It is here that we will be able to feel His love and react to it. This reaction means our thoughts and actions will be influenced by Him. What we say and do will bear good fruit and have positive results. We might have intrusive thoughts, but we can react to these properly, pushing them away in favor of being moved by the Holy Spirit. This process is known as Spiritual Warfare. If we keep focused on God, then victory over these things will result.
Jesus warns us that even by judging others instead of focusing on ourselves can lead to bad things. There is only one judge, who is the Father. In our arrogance, we all tend to judge others instead of directing our attention to our own shortcomings. Accepting that we are all works in progress and contemplating on where we can do better is part of us becoming new creations through Jesus Christ. Taking what we know and attempting to offer Good Counsel to those who may be falling short is the task that we should undertake. No one can stand up to judgement. Why should we then judge others without correcting our own actions first? We all have work to do. This starts with understanding that our words have power. Behind them should be actions that enforce what is said and expresses exactly where they are coming from, which is our heart. The condition of our heart is revelation as to the condition of our soul and where it stands with God.
Deacon Tom
