Reflection for WEDNESDAY, 6th Week, Ordinary Time.

By

 

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Today's Word of God 

James 1:19-27 

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

Today's Reflection 

When we want to know the condition of a car, it is not just the externals that matter.

Neither will lifting up the bonnet tell us anything about the condition of the engine.

It is only by starting the car and running it on the road that we will know what is the condition.

Similarly the 1st reading tells us not to just listen to the Word of God but also to do what it tells us to do.

To listen to the Word and not obey it is like looking at your own features in a mirror and then forgetting what you looked like.

It also means that we have to listen to what we are saying to others.

And the 1st reading tells us to be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to rouse our temper, for God's righteousness is not served by man's anger.

The Word of God will do away with all our impurities and bad habits if we allow it to.

And we will know if we are listening to the Word of God and putting it into action when we listen to what is coming out from our mouths.

GOD BLESS YOU 

Good morning. Have a nice safe day