The real reason we need to watch our mouths

Today’s readings can be found here. Read Fr. Epicoco’s brief reflections on the daily Mass readings, Monday through Saturday, here. For Sunday Mass reading commentary from Fr. Rytel-Andrianik, see here.

“A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Today’s Gospel speaks to us with a clarity that leaves us speechless. It seems to want to tell us that if we want to know what’s really in our heart, all we have to do is look at the way we speak.

For if when we talk we’re always ready to speak evil of others, to despise and denigrate them, to slander and belittle them, then this says nothing really about the others but says a great deal about ourselves.

All the evil we see around us may actually be contained within us. Conversely, all the good we see around us we most likely also have within us.

Thus, today’s Gospel page seems to want to encourage us to make a great examination of conscience.

Do we propagate evil? Do we take pleasure in going to read the garbage of certain newspapers or blogs that thrive on the gossip of others’ supposed weaknesses? Do we downplay the good present in others? Do we always have a malicious view of reality?

All this clearly tells us that our heart is not a good place and definitely needs cleaning. It makes sense then to make a good confession, to empty the sack of our discontent and begin to practice talking about what is good instead of always speaking badly of others.

Read more:Pope Francis: “Whoever Gossips Is a Terrorist”

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Father Luigi Maria Epicoco is a priest of the Aquila Diocese and teaches Philosophy at the Pontifical Lateran University and at the ISSR ‘Fides et ratio,’ Aquila. He dedicates himself to preaching, especially for the formation of laity and religious, giving conferences, retreats and days of recollection. He has authored numerous books and articles. Since 2021, he has served as the Ecclesiastical Assistant in the Vatican Dicastery for Communication and columnist for the Vatican’s daily newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.