"Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world (James 1:19-27)"
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger are warnings frequently found in the Old Testament (OT); "Be swift to hear, but slow to answer (Ben Sira 5:11)." This passage wants to convey the message that the word of God implanted in us at Baptism must be heard and acted upon and we must avoid everything that is not Godly. Jesus said, 'Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:20).’ Jesus explained the necessity of following the interior law imparted in us; "For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified (Rom. 2:13)." The simile of the mirror means that the mirror will reflect all our facial blemishes but if we forget what we see in the mirror we will not change anything. Those who are truly religious practice selfless acts of charity in the community.
Almighty God, by our baptism we became members of the community of believers with your word firmly implanted in our hearts. Through your grace, your word comes alive and inspires us to humbly serve as you so direct. Strengthen us that we may avoid what is evil, be quick to listen to your word in our hearts, bridle our tongues, and avoid anger. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
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