Daily Catholic Lectio. Tue, 18 March ’25. Words and Actions!

Daily Catholic Lectio

Tue, 18 March ‘25

Second Week of Lent – Tuesday

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20. Psalm 50. Matthew 23:1-12

Words and Actions!

In Hebrew, the word ‘davar’ simultaneously means both ‘word’ and ‘action.’ The phrase ‘davar Yahweh’ can be understood both as ‘the word of the Lord’ and ‘the action of the Lord.’ This is because, for God, word and action are not separate. As St. Augustine writes, for God, words and actions do not happen one after the other; rather, they occur simultaneously. God says, ‘Let there be light!’ and immediately, ‘There was light.’ The moment God speaks, His word is fulfilled.

For God, there is no gap between word and action.

We know that words are not only meant for communication but also for creation. When I tell a worker, ‘Do this!,’ and he completes the task, my words have not only communicated with him but have also brought something new into existence through him. When we look at history, we see that words have brought about great transformations. The words from Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, “I have a dream!,”, were not just spoken to an audience but planted the seeds of liberation for African Americans.

In our own lives, change does not come merely from reading self-help books, waking up early, or working hard. Rather, life progresses when our words turn into actions. Personal discipline, growth, and excellence all come from this. When I say to myself, “I will wake up at 5 AM!” and actually wake up at 5 AM, confidence is born within me. That confidence then propels me forward.

Jesus instructs that the gap between words and actions must be eliminated, especially among those in leadership.

In the gospel reading, speaking to His disciples about the Pharisees and scribes of His time, Jesus says, “Do what they say, but do not do what they do!” He further criticizes them for loving the title Rabbi without embodying its responsibilities. If I am not a good teacher yet insist that others call me Good Teacher, then their words are empty because my actions do not align with them.

Words that do not lead to action are merely empty words that vanish into thin air.

In today’s first reading, Isaiah rebukes the Israelites for hearing God’s words but failing to act upon them. In the responsorial psalm (Psalm 50), God asks, “What right have you to recite my laws?”

Let the words we speak today not remain mere conversation or social exchange but become words of creation. Let the words we speak to ourselves turn into actions. It is not our words but our actions that define who we truly are.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Messenger of Mercy