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Friend,
Based on the readings this weekend for our 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, I would like to talk about the words we use. Words are very powerful, and I believe they help create the reality they speak about. If you keep telling a child he is stupid then the child begins to believe that. If you continually tell someone they are loved, then I think they are much more likely to believe they are loved.
One line from our Scripture reading this weekend really struck me as I read it. Sirach 27:6 says, “The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had: so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.” The question each one of us can ask ourselves is what do we spend our time thinking about? The author of Sirach talks about the bent of one’s mind. The “bent” of our mind is what kind of thoughts we find ourselves thinking. I think it is very important to reflect on the kind of thoughts we have.
All good or evil starts with a thought. If we let evil go from our thoughts and pass through our lips into words, then other people will be hurt by this evil. If we let God help us make our speech holy and loving then others will experience God’s goodness and life through our words. Again, we must remember that the good or evil we bring into the world starts with what we are thinking. Will we let God’s Spirit into our thoughts so that we will always be loving in our words?
What kind of thoughts do you find yourself thinking over and over again? Do you see yourself as a good person? Do you know how deeply you are loved? Are you bitter or angry with someone who has hurt you and you just want bad things to happen to them? Are you quick to be mean and judgmental in your thoughts or are you compassionate and forgiving? Do you assume the best of others or the worst? What about lust, jealousy, or greed, etc.?
Here is the deal. The fruit of the tree shows the care it has had. In other words, our thoughts and words show how much love and forgiveness we have allowed to come into our lives. God is always thinking of good, loving, forgiving and unifying thoughts for each one of us. If we aren’t constantly thinking good, loving, forgiving and unifying thoughts for ourselves and others, then we need more of God’s grace and Spirit. We need God’s way of thinking to dominate our way of thinking.
We move people either closer to heaven or hell by our words. We move closer to heaven or hell by our words. Our words start out with a thought. We are called to think like Jesus. What is Jesus thinking about you and every other human being right now? He is thinking the same thing He has always thought and will always think- I love you and forgive you. He wants us to become one family- unified. .
Will we let Him work in us so that we can work for Him?
+Fr John Amsberry
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