Father Bill says...for the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Adirondack Mountains

This Sunday our Gospel reading at Mass returns to a reading from the Gospel of St. Mark - after five weeks of reading John 6 - I recently found this interesting take on this Sunday's Scriptures.

The primacy of the heart - as compared with the head. When we judge a person - it is usually by the heart - one of the most damning things we can say about anyone - "he has no heart" - "he has a cold heart" - "he has a hard heart" - the best things we can say - "he has heart" - "he is warm hearted" - "he is soft hearted."

Often when we judge a person - it is by the heart - "his heart is not in it" - "he is only half-hearted" - or - "his heart is in it" - he is whole hearted."

Sorrow or joy is often placed in terms of the heart - "her heart was broken" - "She went with a heavy heart" - or "her heart is overflowing with joy" - "she went with a light heart"

And, even in worship - we speak of the heart - "is this person's heart in it or not" - or is this person only giving lip-service to the Lord - or does it truly come from the heart.

When we speak of badness or goodness - a corrupt heart is the worst form of badness - means to be bad to the core - a pur heart is the best kind of goodness - means to be good to the core.

Today's Gospel reading - places an emphasis on the heart - the heart - the source from which all our thoughts, words and deeds flow - the Pharisees paid more attention to the outside actions than what comes from the inside - it is the heart that matters - may we have a heart that glows with the Lord - only God can see what is in the heart - and only God can make it into what it should be.

I remember talking with a baseball scout - and I asked him what he looked for in a prospect - and he said two things - a strong arm - and heart - without heart the player would not be a good team member and would not bring much spirit to the team.

LET US PRAY

Almighty God - my Father - change my heart into yours - give me a heart overflowing with love and peace - a heart that is sacred because you have touched me in such a perfect way - this is my prayer. Amen.

Please join me as we join together in saying the Lord's Prayer.