In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The other day I had the honor of visiting a lovely lady in a hospice setting to offer her Holy Communion as she began her final stage of life. It was a beautiful visit and as I was leaving her room, she looked at me and said: “Father Vasken, your visit was what I needed today. You helped life my spirits on a day when I really needed it. Thank you.”
Throughout that day, I thought about our conversation and how words are so important. What we say and how we say it has the ability to build up or tear down. The last line in today’s Bible reading is all about our use of words. When Jesus spoke, He spoke to the heart of people. He knew the issues we all live with and deal with every day. Listen again, to what He said: “From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” In other words, what is in the heart sooner or later comes out in our speech.
Our speech is what Jesus is addressing in today’s reading. He speaks about the power of the tongue and the power of speech. If we think back over the last week, think of how many people we have touched with our words in just this past week. With our words, we may have given comfort or strength or encouragement to help build someone up. We could have also very easily hurt someone with our words.
We can tear people down with our words, destroy reputations, spread gossip and insults about others. Our words can clear the air or cause confusion. Words can cause war or words can be used to bring about peace. Our interaction with the world around us is through words. Words can cut into the heart and soul of a person and those wounds heal very slowly. Verbal wounds don’t heal easily.
We all know the terrible pain of hurtful words—the terrible hurt of an untamed tongue. The tongue is also an indicator of our spiritual health. Remember the last line that was read a few moments ago. “From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What does that mean and why does Jesus say it? He says it to remind us that what we say is a good indicator of what is going on in our heart.
So, this reading calls us to look not only at our speech but also at our heart. Most of the year, we reflect about the world around us—the culture, the media. Let us use this fall season as a time to reflect and ask the question: What are we feeling in our heart? Does our heart reflect a joyful spirt? Does it tend to be defeatist? Is it a heart that reflects the Light of God into the world or a heart that knows there is darkness around us tends to look away?
People know what our heart is like by what we say and what we do. Today, through this Bible reading, we are being asked an important question. Are we using the gift of our speech to heal and build up or to tear down and destroy? Our tongue can be more powerful than any other muscle in our body. Through it, we can make the lives of people far better or far worse. Our words can carry the Light of God into the world and make our world a better place.
Are we using the gift of our speech to heal and build up? If not, it is never too late to start. “From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” If our heart reflects God, so will our words.
Something for all of us to think about.
Amen.