“From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks." Lk 6:45
Today’s readings remind us to guard every word that passes our lips, because our words reveal what is in our hearts. If our hearts are full of praise for the Lord and thanksgiving for all He has done for us, this will be evident in the way we speak. But if we allow our hearts to be filled with resentment and anger, refusing to love and forgive, that also will show itself in our speech. Today’s Old Testament reading tells us that our speech reveals our faults; the psalmist sings of the good fruit produced in those who give thanks to God; and Jesus affirms that our speech is the fruit produced from the goodness or evil hidden within our hearts.
Even if the anger and resentment we harbor is justified, when we let it go and ask God’s help to forgive, we can find healing and peace. When we suffer with a heart full of anger or distress, it is “good to give thanks to the Lord,” by singing the psalms. In voicing our gratitude and love for God, the heart finds peace and joy, leaving no room for bitterness and evil.
The Church has an ancient tradition of reading psalms and scriptures throughout the day, called the Liturgy of the Hours. Priests and religious pray these psalms every day, but lay people can also benefit from learning these prayers. Publications like the Magnificat or Our Daily Bread make the daily prayers of the Church accessible to all. There are also several groups locally and nationally that take part in liturgical prayer, including the Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscans, and Ignatian spiritual groups, to name just a few.
I once had a CD of St. John Paul II singing the psalms that I just loved. Reading Psalm 92 this weekend, I can still hear his voice in my memory, praising and giving thanks to God. St. John Paul gave witness to the joy of a life of faith, “bearing fruit even in old age.” I only hope that in my own approaching old age, I can keep the treasure of thankfulness to God safe in my heart, with joy and kindness ever on my lips.
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