INSPECTIO CORDIS Examining the depth of one’s heart with St. Stanislaus Papczyński “Our weekly goal is to allow Jesus to gaze into your heart and teach you self-examination, leading you to a more fruitful reception of Holy Communion at Sunday Mass, where there is a true encounter of our hearts with His Sacred Heart.” Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time—C March 2, 2025 Prepare for Sunday Mass with our Founder Before Holy Communion 1. “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear.” While we do not winnow wheat to separate the kernel from the chaff, we likely do have the experience of using a sieve for sifting wheat. The sieve separates the larger grains from the fine flour. This example is used to show how speech reveals and tests our character: “from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our words disclose our level of self-discipline: “If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also” (James 3:2). Yet, we often lack such self-discipline, which is revealed by how we talk especially in time of tribulation. Humility requires admitting and confessing the sins of our tongue, whereas pride leaves us blind to our lack of charity in our speech. St. James (1:26, 3:9-10) warns that our worship at Mass is pointless if we do not control our tongue: we cannot bless God from the heart while cursing or belittling His image in our neighbor. For this reason, St. Faustina asked the Lord to heal her tongue in Holy Communion, so that the tongue which receives Him in love would not wound Him later in her words to her neighbor ( Diary, 590). With what sins of the tongue do you struggle? How do you exercise discipline over your speech? How do you tend to speak when experiencing tribulation? 2. “Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.” The Psalmist declares how good it is to use our tongue to give thanks to God, praising His name, proclaiming His kindness and fidelity. If we meditate on these things in our hearts, then our speech will flow freely from such pondering. Yet, if we could X-Ray our interior, we find that we more often are filled with worry, anxiety, complaints, anger, jealousy, and more. It would be little surprise, then, that our words reflect that state of our hearts. Eucharist is the Greek for “thanksgiving,” and each Sunday we come to Mass to experience anew how good it is to give Him thanks for everything. For as we thank Him even for the crosses and burdens, He transforms them into doorways to the resurrection. Thus, the fruit of such thanksgiving is a flourishing life, growing like a cedar, bearing fruit even in old age, and being vigorous and sturdy amid storms. For what do you give thanks at Mass? How can you ponder His kindness and fidelity even amid your crosses and burdens? 3. “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory.” St. Paul quotes the prophet Hosea to boast of Christs definitive conquest of sin and death. In this, God has fully revealed His merciful love and loyalty to us, even as we are enmeshed in sin. His resurrection is the reason we have a reason to always give thanks to God, no matter the circumstances. For, in Christ risen from the dead, the
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