MEDITATION TIP —
Third Sunday of Lent
March 3, 2024

“Jesus knew very well what was in each person’s heart.” (John 2:25)

　In the preceding verses of this Gospel, we read, “Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover, and many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He had done. But Jesus himself did not trust them” (John 2:23). In other words, Jesus knew that even though people seemingly believed in Him, it was not true, but on the contrary, they would cause Him to suffer. So “Jesus knew well what was in the hearts of people,” the meaning of which is that people do not know themselves well.

　We often say that we cannot see a person’s heart. But the feelings of the heart always appear on the face, on the outside. People cannot hide what is in their hearts. For example, if you say to someone, “I don’t like this person,” you must convey that expression to the other person, and he or she will have the same look on his or her face. On the other hand, if you treat a person with the thought, “I like this person,” your feelings will be conveyed to the other person, and the other person will have the same expression on his/her face. In this way, human relationships are like mirrors, and the other person’s face is a portrait of yourself. It seems that we hide our own hearts, but in fact they are visible. So, we must know ourselves.

　If a person looks bad, it is an indication that there is a problem in our own heart and that we are looking for something bad. Therefore, we must change our own heart, not demand that the other person change. If a person looks good, it is a sign of a heart that is searching for the good, and we must continue to do so. Everything we are today is the result of what we have called for.

　The philosopher Thales, who is considered one of the Seven Wise Men of ancient Greece and who advocated that “the root of all things is water,” when asked by people what is dif-ficult, he replied, “To know oneself,” and when asked what is easy, he replied, “To advise others.” We think we know ourselves best, but this is only an assumption, and in fact it is not true. The face you see in the mirror is symmetrical, but it is not your true form, and your facial expression is not natural, but something you unconsciously create when you look in the mirror. Thales is right when he says that the easiest thing to do is to give advice to others. We can see others better. Therefore, if we want to know ourselves objectively and correctly, it is important to accept advice from others.

　The words enthusiasm and passion are very attractive. It sounds very idealistic to be passionately devoted to one’s work or mission. But there is a pitfall in enthusiasm and passion. It means that we lose sight of what is going on around us. While claiming to be enthusiastic about your activities, even though you are in fact clearly and objectively wrong, you may not accept the advice of others and go off the rails. It is precisely when we think we are not wrong and that we are following the right path that we need to stop and look back at ourselves and accept the advice of others, as the case may be.

　“Jesus knew very well what was in each person’s heart.”

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Akabae)