25th Week in OT 2020 - Psychology of mental change & Evangelization

 Last week, I spoke a bit about the sin of rash judgment, how it is very easy for us to form judgments about people without the necessary facts, and to dismiss them or discredit them due to that rash judgment. The Pharisees, I mentioned, discredited Jesus—he couldn’t possibly be a prophet or teacher—because he ate sinners, his disciples appeared to break the sabbath. There are very few people in the Gospels, for example, who initially dismissed Jesus and then changed their minds about him. The only person who comes to mind is Paul, and he only changes his mind when he is struck down on the road to Damascus and the Resurrected Lord appears to him personally.

Changing our minds after a rash judgment is terribly difficult--admitting we were wrong about something or someone is difficult. For something happens in our brains when we decide something is true. Our brains give us a little psychological reward, when we decide that something is true. Our brain really likes being right about things. And it’s psychologically difficult to reverse a judgment—you literally need to change the structure of your brain—and the brain resists that. In fact, the brain will look for more and more proof to support its original judgment than to reverse it.

Where am I going with this? In the first reading, the book of proverbs differentiates between the wicked man and the righteous man. And remarkably proverbs here says something about the psychology of the wicked,  “All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts.” What proverbs is saying here, is that it is quite possible for a person to believe they are right about everything, and still be wrong about everything. They might think they know the best way to fix a car, and still be wrong. They might think they know the best way to raise children, and still be wrong. They might think they know all about God or the Church and still be wrong. They might think they know the right way to live, and still be wrong.

And it is difficult to convert people like this. People who are convinced they are right about everything, are often wrong about so much. Again, the Pharisees, they thought they were the religious authorities, that their interpretation of Scripture was superior and authentic. And yet, the Lord exposes their blind spots, “you blind guides” he calls them, “you fools”. They thought they were the experts on God, but did not recognize God when he was standing in front of them performing miracles. 

Rather, the Christian, must always be open to correction by the Word of God. To be a disciple is to always be learning from Jesus—learning how we are to not only be hearers of the word, but doers of the word. 

But when we are doers of the word, we are able to reach those souls who have hardened their hearts toward Jesus and the Church. 

We strive be to show them Jesus—like Paul seeing the Lord on the road to Damascus—in our words and our deeds, not just as hearers of the word, but doers of the word, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the members of the Church may seek to be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word Let us pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of those who have hardened their hearts toward Jesus and his bride the Church, and for the conversion of all hearts.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.