Sunday – 8th Week in Ordinary Time C

In the first reading from Sirach, we are reminded of the significance of speech as a reflection of our character: "When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear." Just as the process of shaking a sieve reveals what is worthless, our words can reveal to us some of the flaws we need to get rid of: pride, arrogance, brashness, a lack of prudence, etc. This teaching invites us to engage in a vital exercise of introspection. We often find it easy to point out the faults in others, to criticize, or to judge, but Sirach urges us to delve into our own hearts first and check the “wooden beams” we carry therein. How often have we been quick to criticize our neighbor’s minor faults while overlooking our more significant shortcomings? Or how often do we so hypocritically expect perfect and ideal behaviour from others while we procrastinate to live virtuously? I caught myself getting upset at one of our Franciscan friars in training of whom I am a formator, for grabbing a can of Coke Zero during lunch with the rest of the fraternity in our refectory, when all the while, many a times I’ve come down from my room in the later hours of the evening to indulge in the same only he was doing it plainly in front of the whole community and I was doing it in hiding. Which is worse? So, it’s easy to expect perfection from others while not embracing the discipline it takes ourselves, especially in religious life.

This call for self-reflection is echoed in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus challenges us to confront the hypocrisy of our judgments: "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?" Jesus seems to say to me on a regular basis, out of love. It’s precisely because Jesus loves us that he wishes to illuminate our conscience. His probing questions compel us to turn our gaze inward. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians, our mortality will one day be clothed with immortality, so we are called to live with genuine integrity and honesty, allowing our actions and words to stem from a heart transformed by Christ as opposed to one that is influenced by this fleeting world.

The second reading reminds us that death has been swallowed up in victory through Jesus Christ. This victory is not just a miraculous event that we celebrate once a year. Rather, it invites us to eternal life, which deeply shapes how we live our lives in this world on a day-to-day basis. Knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain encourages us to remain steadfast and deeply rooted in faith—just like the just one who flourishes like a palm tree in the courts of our God, as we pronounce in the Responsorial Psalm.
Brothers and sisters, as we navigate the challenges of our daily lives, let us remember to cultivate goodness within our hearts knowing that the Lord wishes to dwell there. Do we not clean our house in preparation of guests? How much more the divine guest who searches the depths of the heart. This helps us focus on the good fruit—on the love, joy, and peace that God‘s presence within us inspires.
When we align our hearts with God’s goodness, our speech naturally becomes a vessel of blessing rather than a tool for division. When we speak, it should be out of the abundance of what God has poured into us—his grace and mercy. Let us be trees that bear good fruit, nourishing those around us through our words and deeds.

As we go forth from this Mass, let us embrace the challenge of self-examination. Let us courageously turn our focus to what is in our own hearts before seeking to correct others. And let’s make a habit of giving thanks, both in our prayers and in our everyday actions. May our gratitude shine as a light in the world, and may our words and actions reflect the goodness of God dwelling within us.

If we water the tree of our soul with good works and prayer, it will definitely yield fruit which is acceptable in God’s sight. Amen.