Our Tongue--Evil or Good?: Palm Sunday

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Sirach: The Evil Tongue or James

·      “In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.”

·       “If you blow on a spark, it will glow; if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth.”

Speaking with the evil tongue 

·      Hosanna vs. Crucify

·      Peter: "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you” vs. I do not know him

·      Judas with no words, but a kiss

·      Two criminals

·      Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, 
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you, 
today you will be with me in Paradise."

Obviously Jesus had only truth and love with his tongue

·      Jesus: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."

·      “You are forgiven…”

·      “Sin no more…”

Isaiah: 

·      “The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.”

St. Paul

·      Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

How will you speak for Jesus Christ, our savior?