Mark 7:15
“Nothing that
enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out
from within are what defile.”
What we eat today may
harm us. Saturated fats can cause high
blood pressure that can lead to stroke or heart attack. Then there are the artificial flavorings that
can cause cancer. And of course, the tar
and nicotine from cigarettes have been proven to kill millions of people annually. All these things, when absorbed by the body,
could have harmful effects someday.
But if these things can defile your body or
kill you, the things that come out of it can defile others and ourselves.
What you say can either make or break you,
and the person you are talking to. Ugly
thoughts, ugly words – they can bring about decay in our hearts that can lead
to conflict, hatred and lost of trust.
Devastating criticism, gossip, intrigue and
machination are denounced in the Scriptures as the greatest sins after
idolatry, because they are all violence against our brother, the image of
God.
They are ways of sinning with the tongue.
What fills the heart is spoken by the
tongue: from a good heart, good words are born, and no gossip stems from it
against any person.
If we let our speech be molded according to
the pattern of Sacred Scripture, then we will be like a healthy tree bearing
good fruit for the uplifting of the Body of Christ.
Let only good
things come out from your mouth – blessing, glorifying, appreciating,
encouraging words - so you may receive
the same.
Let us pray +
Almighty
Father, teach us not return
evil for evil or insult for insult. We
should return a blessing instead. Teach
us to keep our tongue from evil and our lips from uttering deceit. Amen +
O bless the Lord, my soul!
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