Friday of
the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
October 16,
2015 8:30am
One Scripture commentator tells
us that the Jewish definition of preaching is the Hebrew word Charaz.
In English, Charaz means stringing
pearls.
The idea is that Jewish preaching
was like stringing pearls together.
Each of them is valuable, but
each is different and separate from the others.
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus
is stringing some pearls together.
Each saying is separate and
different, and each of them is valuable in itself.
Let’s just take one of these sayings
or pearls.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that
will not be known.
Therefore, whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the
light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on
the housetops.”
Jesus’ point: God knows us
through and through.
God sees our innermost thoughts,
feelings, motives and beliefs.
We may hide ourselves from others
but we will not hide from God.
So, let’s be open and honest about
ourselves with God and with ourselves.
It is important to do this to
make sure that there is harmony between what is inside of us and what comes out
of us.
Our words and actions ought to
flow from within, from who we really are, from what we are thinking, feeling,
desiring and believing.
Being open and honest about
ourselves with God and with ourselves is also important if we are going to grow
spiritually.
Maybe there are some things
within us that we need to deal with and resolve.
Maybe prayer, maybe the Sacrament
of Reconciliation, maybe some spiritual direction, or maybe counseling will
help us to do this.
But the first step is being open
and honest about what is within.
All of this from Jesus’ first
pearl in today’s gospel:
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that
will not be known.”
