Presence

Lord, thank you for being my companion on life’s journey, each day, and in each moment, including this one. Help me to tune in to your presence now…  

Scripture

Matthew 15:10-14

10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

Reflection

How quick are we to take offense? Even when it’s the truth? Do our hurt feelings get in the way of the lesson to be learned? Do they block the message God is sending? Sure, sometimes the truth can hurt. But if it’s what we need to hear, shouldn’t we listen? Better to examine what we have done and learn from it than to stumble on blindly and fall into the pit. And we have a truth to share, do we water it down to the point where our message is lost, just because we are afraid of offending the other person? Can we not say what needs to be said lovingly, with good intent and an open heart?

Closing prayer

Dear God, before I take offence, grant me the grace to examine what has been said or done, and learn from it. Give me the courage, too, to speak my truth. Help me live my faith.  Amen.