HOW  FAR ARE  OUR  LIPS 

FROM OUR HEART?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time  is, “How Far Are Our Lips From Our Heart?”

When it comes to religion and spirituality, this is a very important question.

It could also be a very important question for all our relationships.  Are we really talking to each other, looking the other in the eye, giving the other ear service and not just  lip service?

ISAIAH

I’m taking this message from a quote from Isaiah that Jesus mentions in today’s gospel.

Jesus quotes Isaiah 29: 13,

“This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.”

Listen to how the Jerusalem Bible translates that same text into English.

“Because this people approaches me only in words,

honors me only with lip-service while its heart is far from me,

and my religion, as far as it is concerned, is nothing

but human commandment, a lesson memorized….”

When Isaiah and Jesus use the word, “heart”,  what do they mean?

By heart Isaiah and Jesus mean  what we find all through the scriptures when we hear people using the word “heart”.

Our heart is our center, our command center, who we are down deep. Of course the heart is a pump, but in human understanding we know all about what one’s heart means.

We’ll see it full speed ahead this Thursday, Valentine’s Day.

It’s our red blooded feelings plus our cold blue brain. It’s the whole me that is the total me.

So Isaiah - and then Jesus - is saying, “We can mouth an “I love you” with our lips, but we can be 5,000 miles away.

We can be with each other - and really be somewhere - else.

Haven’t we all seen a preacher preaching - and  without thinking - he looks at his watch. We don’t know - but he might have just given us  a dead giveaway. His might be giving a memorized - outside his heart homily.

So too the prayers at Mass - so too - all communication - all receiving communion - with Christ and each other.  Do we have real presence - being there with all  our heart.

IT’S HARD TO BE WITH IT.

Today’s first reading is part of one of two creation accounts in the first book of the bible, Genesis. We can hear it - and not hear it. Our brains and our minds can be in the middle of this afternoon right now.

Creation is still going on. It’s ongoing. - but it’s difficult to be present to the whole of the universe  unfolding - as it’s happening.

The cook doesn’t always have her heart in her cooking.

Imagine if an artist was right here - with a big canvas - and he starts painting a picture of flowers, or a garden, or a whole street, or the planet.

Watching we could become mesmerized by the beauty being created right in front of our eyes.

Still someone might yawn. Someone might  look at their  watch. Someone might unpocket their cell phone to check a text.

Or the artist might be somewhere else - because this is the 65^th time he has done this same painting.

Or our eyes and our mind could be totally in sync with all of creation.

OR WE COULD BE TOTALLY OFF ON THE WRONG THING

In today’s gospel Jesus spots the Pharisees off on the picky, picky, little nonsense stuff and miss the whole of religion and life.

The example I always like to keep in mind is the moment we went to see the musical, No No Nanette on Broadway. It was a Wednesday Matinee and we couldn’t get good seats. We were off to the side up in those mini balconies - looking down on the front of the stage - as well as the orchestra pit.

Well, surprise, surprise, I missed much of the musical watching a cellist playing his instrument - but really reading the whole  of the New York Post, Sports Section included, all through his playing. He had it down.

It seemed to me that the other musicians were into the show, into the music, but not this guy. He was into his paper.

I am glad what I saw that day.

It became a valuable lesson for me

When I’m into the Mass, I want to be into the Mass - and into the readings - and into the prayers

I want there to be less there 1 millionth of an inch of  space between me and Christ.

Impossible? No.

Difficult - of course.