Where is Your Heart?

~~~ Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 ~~~ Psalm 102 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 14:22-36 or Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 ~~~

It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;

but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.

What you are eating is not putting words in your mouth.

The words you speak originate from deep within 

before they tumble off the tip of your tongue.

Spicy foods does not make you speak in such a manner.

Chocolate cake will not make you speak words of love and kindness.

It would be amazing if the foods you ate could

 help you manage the words you spoke in the future.

...this people honors me with their lips, 

but the hearts are far from me.

Matthew 15:8

This addresses the more serious problem.

Where is your heart?

While this verse is not included in today's Gospel

 I believe it is pertinent to connect the readings together. 

When the apostles were caught in the storm at sea

 their words were saturated with fear.

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.

The apostles had not yet aligned their hearts with their lips.

They had doubts because Jesus was not in the boat

with them at that very moment.

Peter came close to drowning; he proclaimed faith in Jesus,

but his heart did not completely believe.

Peter knew who Jesus was and he 

still functioned under the shadow of doubt.

Peter got out of the boat because Jesus called for him to come.

Just as Peter had asked.

Peter heard Jesus...Peter saw Jesus...Peter began 

walking on the water toward Jesus.

The weight of Peter's doubt allowed him to sink into the waves.

His heart was not faith-filled enough to keep him buoyant. 

We must get our hearts not just our lips connected to Jesus.

Peter began to feel that what he was doing was impossible and so is was...

he began to sink deeper into the sea.

We know that Jesus would have never let Peter drown.

He does wait, however until Peter cries out to Jesus...

 “Lord, save me!”

Where are you on the Faith continuum of one to five?

One meaning you have great difficulty believing

 and five meaning you believe all things are possible with God? 

Where would you be in order to call out to the Lord to save you?

Peter was near drowning. His life was in peril.

Sometimes God waits nearby for us to call out to him,

but he is never too far away to rescue.

Blessed to be saved.

~~~Peace~~~