Authentically Me: Words to Heal

Clip from Daily TV Mass on YouTube

My prayer and self goal for 2018 is to seek and welcome peace into my mind, heart, and soul in whatever form God wills. I started listening to the daily Masses while at work, and when I finish the day's, I jump to 2017 and work my way through the ones I've missed. I choose to follow the Daily TV Mass on YouTube and came across the Mass from March 23, 2017.

In this Mass, the reading comes from Luke 11:14-23, but what really stuck with me was the homily given by Father Bianco. To summarize, Father Bianco highlights the power behind communication and how to use our words to better the world and people around us. Specifically for my goal, he talks about how Jesus used His words to heal.

Most of us know how to treat people how we would like to be treated. We even know that we should refrain from gossip. But for me, my greatest enemy is the internal tongue: my mind. My head runs through conversations and scenarios that bring out the worst in me, the parts I would never unleash on another human being, but in my head, I am a reckless and belligerent person. These words may not harm the other person, but they are words that are stopping me from the proper healing I desire.

The idea of seeking and welcoming peace isn't to merely forgive outwardly. I need to forgive internally. Every time I pray for longer than 30 seconds, I try to say, out loud, "I forgive so-and-so." By stating this, I start to believe it. It may take me a month before it's true, but this active movement in the right direction is part of words that heal me.

I need to speak words that heal. I need to speak words of honesty and integrity. I need to speak openly and with forgiveness. I need to not speak when I need to first think. I need to hold my tongue when someone else is genuinely opening up to me. I need to speak when I know that my words will build up and nothing more. As Toby Mac said, I need to speak life.

May God offer me words, externally and internally, of truth, honesty, and integrity, but most importantly, words with love behind them.