1st Reading Sirach 27: 4-7
Psalm 92:1-2, 12-13, 14-15 (R. 1a)
R:// "It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord"
2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 15: 54-58
Gospel Luke 6: 39-45
TRUE COLOURS
Beloved, today is the first Sunday of March 2025, and we give thanks to God for ushering us into a new month. March, traditionally in the Catholic Church, is attributed to devotion to St. Joseph. The man Joseph barely spoke in the Bible. I suggest that we imitate his silence and meditative nature, especially this month. Additionally, today is the last Sunday of the first part of Ordinary Time. Lent begins on Wednesday with the imposition of Ashes. We should be preparing to start the 40-day penitential journey. Because the greater part of the Lenten season is in March, I will suggest again that we put the silent character of St. Joseph at the forefront and imitate him.
Now, the Word of God for this Sunday dwells heavily on character. Let's dive into them.
The first reading is from Sirach 27: 4-7. Let us begin by knowing that the book of Sirach is one of the 7 Deuterocanonical books you can find in the Catholic Canon (authoritative list) of the Bible. Since this book was frequently read in early Christian assemblies, it was called "Ecclesiasticus", or the Church's book. It is a collection of maxims and sentences on various topics, discussing everything without following a rigorous order. Today's passage deals with the criterion for revealing a person's true value and character. There are three dimensions to consider.
The first dimension is that "when a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains; so a man's filth remains in his thoughts" (Sir. 27: 4). This is a physical dimension or the physical test. The sieve is used to separate the wheat from the chaff when shaken. This is to put things in their rightful places. This is a physical process. The Sieve has to be shaken. The word for Shaken is "Seismati". This word has to do with Vibrations. What it means is that in every sphere of life, there are Vibrations and disturbances. To test what the individual can do so that you can know how the person reacts to it, simply look at his "thoughts". In fact, the Greek word used for thought is "logismoi". Critically, we can see the English word "Logic" in there, and Logic has to do with reasoning patterns. The first way to know the true nature and value of a person and decide whether to follow such a person or not is the test of a physical dimension of his or her response to vibrations and this will tell you the reasoning capacity in response to the vibration. Surprisingly, the wrong way a man's reaction can be is contained in his reasoning. The word translated as "filth" is "σκυβαλα" (Skubala) and it refers to rubbish or refuse, that which is to be treated as worthless and thrown out.
The second dimension of the test of a man's character is the test of strength. Strength is measured in a person's battle with another person. The purpose of a furnace is to test a vessel's strength. A person's strength is tested when he engages in conversation, where there is another person. When that person is not built well, what is seen are cracks, leakages, and breakages. You can test a person's character or true nature in a social setting, thus how he engages people.
The third dimension is "The fruit discloses the cultivation of a tree; so the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a man's mind" (Sir. 27: 6). This is the test of result. It is one thing to reason. It is another thing to engage people in conversation, in a social setting. The concern here is that thinking and engaging should lead to a result. What is important is putting thoughts and words into action, and observing the consequences of those actions. The action should include a spiritual aspect. The word translated as "Mind" is "Kardia" (Καρδιά) and this is the same word used for the Heart. The Heart relates to the spiritual aspect of man. To know a man's true character or true nature, the ability to put words and thoughts into action, and reliance on spiritual life, is very important.
As we are set to commence Lent, remember that these words hold prominent places in our penitential journey. It will be good to have the thought to go through Lent well this year. It will be better to have them into words by expressing them. What will be best is to put them into action, relying on God's grace.
Pax et Bonum
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