Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Words matter. Perhaps you have heard much about the baptism controversy that as gone viral in the Catholic and social media world. Fr. Andre Arango, a priest in Arizona, substituted the word ‘I’ with ‘We’ in the words of baptism. Instead of, “I baptize you…,” over the years at thousands of baptisms he said, “We baptize you…” After much discussion between the diocese and the Vatican, all the baptisms performed by Fr. Arango were declared invalid. People went back and forth about whether a small pronoun can make all the difference. Well, it does. Imagine that at a wedding, instead of, “I do,” one of them said, “We do!” The wedding would be invalid. Small words have huge implications. Similarly, in the Sacrament of Baptism, when a minister baptizes, Catholics believe that it is really Christ who is working through that person. When the word 'we' is used, it means that the community of worshippers is doing the baptism. That is what makes the baptisms done by Fr. Arango invalid. Words matter. Even small words carry big implications.
I am focusing this homily on human words and human speech. It can be the place for Christian discipleship to flourish or die.
Words and Speech
In today’s first reading taken from the book of Sirach, the author says: “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks” (Sir 27:4). And again, “The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind” (Sir 27:6). Words are not mere words, are they? Our words are the indicators of our mind, our character, our inner self. As Jesus says in today’s gospel: “… from the fulness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45).
In the age of social media, we can think of numerous instances of words, sometimes uttered many years ago, coming back on the speakers with vengeance. It has destroyed many a reputation and career. We have heard politicians and celebrities making off the mic remarks which either contradicted what they claimed publicly or laid bare their ingenuity. I can think of numerous examples of saying something and then immediately having to add, “I am sorry, I did not mean that!” or “That came out wrong!”
The problem in these examples is not merely the words that emerge from our mouths. These words reveal inner thoughts, hidden intentions, and perhaps, even our character.
Today’s scripture is making us aware of three things:
- Our speech lays bare the mind and the heart.
- If we really want to understand someone’s thought, read their lips.
- If we want to change our speech, we need to change within.
Hypocrisy v/s Integrity
There is something honest about speech that exposes our inner-self – it lays bare our hypocrisy. The one quality that Jesus warned his disciples against was, hypocrisy. We hear him say in today’s gospel reading, “You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye” (Lk 6:42). To some extent, we all suffer from hypocrisy. What is it about us that we always want to change others before we change our own lives? What is it about us that we like to give advice to others but do not practice it ourselves? What is about us that we like to remove the speck from other’s eyes while we have a plank in our own?
Jesus confronted hypocrisy because nothing destroys community more than hypocrisy. The child abuse crisis, among other things, should teach us that.
Somebody asked me the other day, “But how do we try to convince those who are resistant? How do we change those who will not listen?” History gives us the answer. The best way to change others is to first change ourselves. The best way to convince others is to genuinely work on our own lives and become more like Christ.
Today, Christ is inviting us to address the hypocrisy within. As a priest, I need to ask myself: “Have I preached that which I myself do not practice?” As parents, teachers, catechists, mentors, counsellors, or professionals we need to ask ourselves, “Do I tell my children, students, and clients things that I myself do not practice?” Today, Christ invites us to integrity of life.
Bearing Good Fruit
In both the first reading and the gospel reading there is tremendous emphasis on the link between a good tree and good fruit. Sirach 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” (Sir 27:6). In today’s gospel reading Jesus says, “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” (Lk 6:43-44).
The reason we hold Christ in such high regard is because his life bore the ultimate good fruit – human redemption. The only reason he was able to accomplish this is because his speech, his intentions and his actions were all consistent. He came to redeem humanity; he spoke redemption; and he accomplished redemption.
If we want to be people of integrity; if we want to be people whose speech is good and constructive; if we do not want to be guilty of hypocrisy, then we need to look not merely at the fruit, but at the tree and the roots of the tree. Doe our speech it build up or tear down? Does our speech encourage or condemn? Do we gossip? Can people trust our words? Do we spew filth with the same tongue that also receives the Body and Blood of Christ? If anything of these things is a problem, let us look within. Remember, a good tree does not bear rotten fruit.
As we receive Christ in the Eucharist today, let us ask him to transform us from within. Having been transformed, may we bear good fruit – in thought, in speech, and in deeds.
- Fr. Satish Joseph