It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.
Mk.7:20-23
Jesus is explaining to his disciples what he has just taught to the people, that food does not make a person unclean. It is his evil thoughts that putrefy.
It seems we have two hearts. One being the muscle that pumps blood around our body, the other being the innermost part of our humanity. The first resides in our chest, the second in our head. The head-heart can be the source of good or evil intentions, life or death.
My experience is that every evil action starts as an evil thought, starts in my heart. I need to be intentional about my thoughts, not let them wander. I need to be careful about what I feed into my thoughts, about what I read, what I look at. Today can be a day of clean thoughts, good intentions, a pure heart.
Lord Jesus, create in me a clean heart, a steadfast spirit so I may heart may be clean and a source of good today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
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