Sunday, February 27, 2022 — Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time — You shine like stars in the universe by holding firm to the word of life — Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6, 39-45

"What the mouth says is what overflows from the heart". This is a beautiful word from Christ. For the virtue of man depends on what fills his heart. It is his soul that makes him a good person. So, the credibility of a person is based on his virtue and the wisdom of his word. This is why the book of Ecclesiasticus teaches us that we will be able to know a person through his way of speaking: "Do not praise someone before he has spoken, that is when we can judge him." (If 27, 7)

The word of Jesus in this Gospel warns those who claim to know the law, but who do not practice it: "Each tree, indeed, is known by its fruit: we do not pick figs from thorns; we do not no longer grapes on brambles." This means that speaking wisely requires first having a pure heart. Also, it is our duty, to be good Christians, to ensure that our actions are compatible with what we announce. We must be careful, because often in our heart we still have hypocrisy by worrying about the small faults of others while hiding our own sins: "what are you looking at the speck that is in the eye of your brother? And the beam that is in your own eye, you do not notice it." It is unfair, even indecent, to want the other to be perfect while we ourselves are wallowing in the mire of evil. If we wish to remove the speck from our brother's eye, we must first remove the beam that blocks our view. Let us convert first before inviting others to follow the right path.