Sunday Reflection (August 16, 2020)

Jesus clarifies what corrupts and defiles a person (Matthew 15:1-20).  It is from what is within our hearts that defile us. It is from an evil heart that a person dwells upon, plans, and commits adultery. It is from an evil heart that someone takes something that is not his/hers. It is from an evil heart that slander comes forth to injure and harm someone with the tongue. It is from an evil heart that a person devalues the life of another human being.  We all have weaknesses that have the potential to defile us and injure others.

Evil arises from within our hearts and causes us to mistreat, injure, and harm other persons.  It is not what others do to us that defiles us, but what we do to others when we injure and harm others.  If someone has attempted to make you feel defiled through their actions toward you, know that it is they who have defiled themselves.  May we not allow evil thoughts to make their way to ours tongues and hands and deeds so that we injure and harm another person or a group of people.  Look to your heart, lest you defile yourselves