Wednesday February 9th: The heart of the matter

“It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.”

Mark 7:14-23

“That come straight from mi heart!” This expression is not uncommon among us Trinis when referring to a compliment or a kind gesture that is genuine and which expresses love and deep appreciation for the other. No doubt it does come from the heart! However, Jesus reminds us that the heart can also be the repository of evil intentions often acted out in tendencies such as mauvais langue, bad mind, mamaguy, unfaithfulness, indecent behavior and a host of other practices listed in today’s Gospel passage.

So if good and evil can reside side by side, then as the saying goes, the one we feed is the one which will thrive. Proverbs 4:23 advises us to “keep watch over our hearts for here are the wellsprings of life.” Its condition will determine the disposition of our souls and in the final analysis that is the heart of the matter.

Today we pray with the psalmist, “Create for me a clean heart, O Lord, and put within me a steadfast spirit.” Amen.