Our Life lies in our Hearts

 

Our life lies in our hearts.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, and the Memorial of St. Cyprian and St. Cornelius, September 16th, 2023  
Texts: 1 Timothy 1:15-17; Psalm 113:1-7; Luke 6:43-49 

Jesus Christ tells us, today, where lie the foundation of our life. The foundation of our life lies in our hearts. He puts it thus: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” The wise puts it thus: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). We cannot change without changing our hearts. What do we feed hearts with? Jesus Christ calls on us, today, to work on our hearts and redeem them. 

Our life reflects what we devote our hearts to. We are unable to keep the words of Jesus Christ because our hearts are not with Him. This clear when Jesus immediately follows up the issue of the heart with the word, "Why do you call me ' Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” Is like saying, “you do not keep my words because you do not believe with your hearts what you profess about me.” As far as our hearts are from Jesus Christ, so far from Him are our lives. If we believe that Jesus is our Lord, we will keep His words.  

Our hearts are not beyond redemption

St. Paul affirms, today, that Jesus Christ has come to save sinners. However, Jesus shows in His words that there is no salvation without redemption of the heart. Hence, we can say that Jesus Christ has come to redeem our hearts. Our hearts are not beyond redemption. Jesus Christ redeems our hearts by speaking the words of the truth to us. Our hearts are redeemed when we hear His words and do them.  

What can redeem our hearts are the words of God. We are to fill our hearts with the words of God. We are to make the words of God our thoughts and devote our hearts to them. This is a call to reflect, meditate and contemplate on the words of God. Jesus says, “Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” 

St. Cyprian and St. Cornelius were bishops. During their reigns they defended the truth about Christ and the Church with their lives. They devoted their hearts to God’s words and fought heresy. They teach us to stand up for the truth and our faith and devote our hearts to God’s words.  

Prayer  

O God, who gave Saints Cornelius and Cyprian to your people as diligent shepherds and valiant Martyrs, grant that through their intercession we may be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke