“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” – Luke 6:45

       Ask me who’s the most unforgettable person I’ve ever met, and without batting an eyelash, I would answer Steven. He’s a guy I met only once 30 years ago. Every time he opened his mouth, it was to say something good about someone. In the first five minutes of our encounter, it was like we had known each other forever. When he talked about other people, it was like they had become my friends too, through his stories. When a group of his friends arrived, he introduced each of them by saying their name followed by a positive trait that he knew about that person. If you ask me now how Steven looked or what his family name is, I wouldn’t even remember. All I remember was how authentic he was and how good he made all the people around him feel just by opening his mouth!

       That’s something you can’t fake. You can’t always put your best foot forward like celebrities who habitually show their best side to the camera. Eventually, your true colors will begin to show when you open your mouth.

       If you want to know the true character of a person, just listen to him talk. Ronna Ledesma (ronna_ledesma@yahoo.com.ph)

Reflection: The mouth will eventually reveal the treasure or venom the heart holds.

Father, grant me the grace that I need to always speak words that will minister to others.

St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

Idolatry is the giving of honor to something less than God. Since our God is a Trinity of Persons, we can honor all three. What we need to avoid is giving honor to anyone or anything that cannot save us. This distinction — capable or not capable of salvation — is clearly at play in society today. We see people placing their trust in all sorts of things but not God, and the result is inevitably a disaster.

14 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? 17 Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he is?

R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

12 How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)

St. John Chrysostom looked around at the Church of his day and lamented the loss of the Charismatic gifts, claiming that this loss caused the Church to be naked and powerless in confronting the dangers of his time. The same is true today where secular power seem to be often at least one step ahead of the Church. This does not have to be the case if we only surrender our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us into battle, using all the gifts and resources at His disposal.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

43 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 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. 46 Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

think:  Let us surrender our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us into battle, using all the gifts and resources at His disposal.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 96-100

BUILT ON ROCK OR ON SAND?

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?” This question of Jesus strikes us. Sunday after Sunday, we hear the Word of God. Some even hear it every day if they attend daily Mass or read the Bible at home. But do we do what the Lord tells us?

       Are we not selective, picking up words we like? Don’t we have the tendency to enjoy the nice words of Jesus but ignore His often demanding words? Many wonder why the Masses they attend seem to have no effect on their lives. Others wonder why God doesn’t seem to answer their prayers.

       Jesus illustrates this with the parable of a man who builds His house on sand while another builds it on solid rock. The house built on sand easily collapses during a flood, while the house built on rock remains safe.

       Could it be that we are like the man who built his house on sand? What was wrong with him? Two things went wrong: Digging until reaching solid rock was too difficult for him. And then he lacked foresight; he did not think of the yearly autumn floods.

       Lack of foresight and taking it easy — these were the problems of that man. Jesus says that all those who call on Him but do not do what He says are like this man, heading for disaster.

       The saint that the Church honors today, St. John Chrysostom, was a man who built his “house” on solid rock. His mother gave him a good education; he studied under famous Greek master Libanius. He lived a strict monastic life for six years. He spoke out against the luxury and corruption at the royal court and was exiled by the enraged empress. Once back, she exiled him again but still this did not shake him. His last words before dying were, “Glory be to God for everything. Amen.”

       Listening to God’s Word and then doing what we are told makes us strong, so strong that no suffering and problem can shake us. Because our “house” is built on the solid rock of God’s Word. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you selective when you hear or read the Word of God? Are you ready to do what Christ tells you, even when it is difficult?

Lord, thank You for reminding me of something so essential. Help me to live out Your Word, even the most demanding words, in my life.