“What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man.”
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Wednesday 12th February 2025 – MARK 7:14-23.
So, while growing up, we go from one mango tree to another. When we pluck the mangoes, the most we do if the fruit is dusty, we will just wipe it with our shirt and immediately start consuming it.
Who even thinks of washing the fruit first before consumption, to ever think that we will also have to first wash our hands.
If we eat food without washing our hands, worst case scenario, one will get stomach ache for a bit which can be possibly cured by taking ampicillins if at all.
Now, if someone sitting or standing closer to us, while trying to open a sachet of table water mistakenly spills the water and part of it spills on us. We may react differently. Some of us may blurt out and say, “What the hell!” Someone else may say, “Are you blind or something.”
Subsequently they may calm down, especially when the offender shows remorse.
Whereas, some of us may just wave it away knowing very well that it wasn’t deliberate.
However, if one looks at a fellow human being, created in the image and likeness of God and says to them, “You fool” irrespective of whether they offended us or not. Then, we are guilty of terribly sinning.
In the first scenario, though still not excusable, our actions could be explained away as reflex action to a sudden occurrence.
However, in the second scenerio, we looked the person in the face, evaluated our words and chose those that would be most hurting and insulting enough before blurting them out.
Dear friend, our action above is not different from one who inflated a budget, took the extra funds and pocketed them. Neither is it different from one who took their pen and wrote a libellous account of another.
This is so because, we first carefully considered what we want to do before going ahead to do it. That is why Christ in today’s teaching says such is unclean.
It is only from an unclean heart that such a vile can proceed. It is like a society where everyone is corrupt, from among them also will there leader proceed. Would he be otherwise?
Therefore, we must watch our thoughts, because, they become words. Words become actions. Our actions become our habits and habits become character. Character they say, forms our destiny.
Have a fantastic day folks.
#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo
12th February 2025.