You Need To Calm Down

Seeing inner intentions revealed in words and works

02/12/2020

Mark 7:14-23 Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Fr. Stephen Elser came back to Fort Smith on Sunday for a baptism and spent a couple of days here. Some of you will remember him as the chaplain of Trinity before Fr. Martin arrived this year. Do you know what Fr. Stephen did on Monday, his so-called “day off”? He visited Trinity so he could see many of you; he stood waving in the hallway. I hope you waved back. That’s not all he did. He visited the classrooms at I.C. School, where a group of students made a circle around him and tried to push him into a room so he could never leave. He also visited a bible study class, the Ladies Auxiliary meeting and went to lunch and dinner with various families.

Seeing how much people loved seeing Fr. Stephen, I texted him saying: “Everyone treats you like the conquering Julius Caesar returning from the Gallic wars!” I was not jealous at all, of course. All first year Latin students have to read the book written by Julius Caesar (in Latin of course) called “The Gallic Wars” about his extraordinary exploits in Gaul, or modern-day France. The book begins with this famous line: “Gallia est omnis divisa en partes tres” meaning “Gaul, as a whole, is divisible into three parts.” When Julius Caesar returned to Rome after conquering Gaul, he declared himself the “emperor” and the Roman Empire was born. I was worried that’s exactly what Fr. Stephen planned to do here in Fort Smith!

The real reason I made that comparison between Fr. Stephen and Julius Caesar is to show that the hidden intentions of our hearts can be seen in our words and actions. Fr. Stephen loves Trinity, I.C. and Fort Smith, and it’s obvious in his actions because he spent his day-off with us. Julius Caesar loved Rome and so he conquered other peoples and made himself her emperor.

The bible also teaches us that what lies hidden in the heart comes into the light through our words and actions. In the gospel today, Jesus says: “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come from within are what defile.” A few verses later, Jesus gives some examples of what he means: “From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” In other words, just like you can easily tell what’s in Fr. Stephen’s heart and in Julius Caesar’s heart by their words and actions, so what each person loves is easily seen on their lips (their words) and in their lives (their works).

Boys and girls, ask yourself today: “What is deep in my heart?” “What are the things I love and feel passionate about?” Sometimes we love things that are good and godly, like Fr. Stephen and Julius Caesar, but sometimes we love things that are unhealthy and unholy. Let me give you a couple of examples. On January 25 Trinity’s Science Bowl Team won first place in the Middle School Science Bowl. In April they will travel to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl. The boy Buffs Science Bowl team had another famous dictum by Julius Caesar on their lips as they returned to Fort Smith: “Vini. Vidi. Vici.” meaning “I came. I saw. I conquered.” Great job, boys, I’m very proud of you.

Sadly, though, sometimes negative and destructive intentions also lie hidden in the heart, like Jesus mentioned, “envy, unchastity, arrogance.” And today, the way we express those harmful feelings is through texts and tweets, through snapchat and Tic-Tok. Or, as Brian Charlton likes to joke: “Snapface.” Taylor Swift in her song, “You Need To Calm Down” said: “Say it in the street, that’s a knock-out / But if you say it in a tweet, that’s a cop-out.” She’s talking about something called cyberbullying, where our envy, jealousy, unchastity and arrogance is on public display. Boys and girls, I cannot tell you how deeply disappointed I am whenever I hear that any Trinity student makes another student feel belittled, bullied or badgered. There simply is not space for that in our school.

Jesus said it is not what goes into a person that defiles, but what comes out of their hearts. Today examine your hearts – and I’ll examine mine – and let only the light and love of holy intentions come out in your words and actions. And then, at the end of your life, you can look back like Julius Caesar and say: “I came. I saw. I conquered."

Praised be Jesus Christ!