8th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
February 27, 2022

My brothers and sisters in Christ,¹

Today, let us especially keep the Ukrainian people in our prayers. And let us ask God to protect the innocent and the refugees and to bring an end to this evil and violence.

This morning, I sent a message of solidarity to our Ukrainian Catholic brothers and sisters here in Los Angeles, at Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary Church. Letting them know that we all are praying for them and their families, and their loved ones in their country.

So today, we especially ask Mary, the Queen of Peace, to intercede for peace in Ukraine and in the entire world.

So as we know, this is the last Sunday before Lent begins, this coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday — hard to believe but it is Ash Wednesday.

And in our Gospel today, we heard the conclusion of Our Lord’s “sermon on the plain,” which we have heard for the last two Sundays.

It is, I think, a very good Gospel to help us to begin the Lenten season. Because Jesus is giving us a summary of his moral teaching on how we should live.

Last Sunday, as we probably recall, he gave us the practical advice to stop judging people and stop condemning people, and then he gave us the beautiful principle that we should be merciful as God Our Father is merciful.

So today, as we get ready for Lent, Jesus finishes his teaching. Again, we hear him tell us to stop worrying about other people. He says: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?” 

Now, we are all know this passage of the Gospel really well and it is good advice. Jesus is asking us work on improving ourselves, before we start trying to improve others.

Jesus goes on to tell us that we need to look deep into our hearts. He tells us today, as we just heard in the passage of the Gospel: “For every tree is known by its own fruit. … A good person, out of the store of goodness in his heart, produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks!”

I think it is very  interesting that Jesus talks about the words that come out of our mouths. That same concern comes up in the first reading, from the Book of Sirach.

As we heard: “The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.”

So my brothers and sisters, the point is that our words matter. What we say, and how we say it, is a reflection of the love that is in our heart. Or the lack of love that we have in our hearts.

And as I was reflecting on this Gospel, I was thinking about our public discourse, the way people talk in our society, and as we all know, it is not always nice. And it is all around us, maybe especially now in social media.

And I was thinking how Jesus is telling us today that we need to be different. It is not just only a question of manners, of being polite. Of course, we should treat others with respect. But what Jesus is saying today goes much deeper.

Again, our words reveal the state of our hearts and our minds. Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks, Jesus tells us.  

And then in another passage of the Gospel, Jesus tells us that we will be held accountable for “every careless word.”² So, our words matter.

So as I was saying, this is a good reflection for us, as we enter into Lent. Maybe that can be a good resolution, maybe we can work on this during Lent and develop some new habits of thinking and speaking.

Jesus says today that we should build up a “store of goodness” in our hearts.

So that means, in a practical way, that we need to make a decision to fill our hearts with holy and beautiful things, especially I will say, words of Jesus, the example of  he gives us in the pages of the Scriptures. And that can be another good resolution for Lent — making sure that we read the Gospels every day. A little passage of the Gospels every day.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, as we prepare for this beautiful time of Lent, let us reflect on how we think about others and the words we use to speak about others.

One of the other beautiful themes for this Lenten season that I’m thinking that we’d like to especially reflect on is what we are calling the “revolution of tenderness.” It is an idea that comes from Pope Francis.³

Of course, this is, as is obvious to all of us, just what our world needs, what every heart needs more than anything. More mercy. More kindness. More tenderness. And yes, it starts with each one of us — with you and me. It starts in our hearts.

St. Paul tells us today in the second reading: “Be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

That’s our mission. It is a beautiful mission, to always work for Jesus, to spread his mercy and tenderness in the world, beginning with the people in our lives.

So as we begin this Lenten season, let us ask for the grace to speak to others as we would like others to speak to us; with kindness and charity, with understanding, not being so quick to judge.

Let us use our words to give glory to God and to lift up and encourage the people around us.

And let us especially continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Let us also remember that Pope Francis is inviting us to pray and fast for peace on Ash Wednesday.

Let us ask for the grace to give our hearts completely to this effort.

And may our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, intercede for our troubled world. May she convert every heart that seeks evil and bring us peace.