Friday, February 14, 2014

Open my ears, Lord

Pope Benedict Emeritus often encouraged the faithful to pray Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading of the Scriptures.  Our Sisters endeavor to pray that way each day, usually with the readings from the Mass.  As I was praying through the Gospel this morning I asked the Lord if He had a word for me.  In Lectio Divina, as we read, we are to be sensitive to the word or phrase that seems to jump out at us as a clue to what God wants to say to us. The words that jumped out at me from the Gospel were about the healing of the deaf man:  “his speech impediment was removed and he spoke plainly.”  (Mk 7:31:37)

Have you ever said something that you have regretted and wished you could take back?  When you live in community like I do, that happens more than I would like.  I’m sure in marriages, in family life, at work, we blurt out opinions, reactions, comments that we know, as soon as those thoughts go from our brain to our mouth, we have made a mistake! 

I thought of that today as I prayed with the Gospel.  I want my speech to reflect love and charity but as Jesus said in another Gospel earlier this week, what comes out of our mouth is more important than what we take in.  I guess the source of what we say is in the heart.  From the heart flows those sentiments that we express.  If we are angry, hurt, judgmental our feelings can come out in our comments in an inappropriate way.   

Perhaps my reflection on the Gospel reading is a bit convoluted but at least for me it made sense.   “Lord, take away any impediment that prevents me from speaking lovingly and charitably.  Don't let my speech be unkind or hurtful.  Let me not be deaf to your teaching.  Allow my speech to be holy.”  Amen


1 comment:

Unknown said...

Oh how my heart aches when I say things that should have been left unsaid. The achy heart is something I rather not experience so I "wait on the Lord" for his guidance and peace to help me discern how I should say something or if I should say it at all. My mom always told me "it is not what you say but how you say it." Jesus lived this... he always spoke the truth but the truth was always full of LOVE...
On this day of Love.. I pray that I always strive to do and say things with LOVE>>> if I fail. I know if I ask for forgiveness I will be forgiven... all in the name of LOVE.... John 3:16