So long as I still have life breath in me, the breath of God in my nostrils,
My lips shall not speak falsehood, nor my tongue utter deceit! (Job 27:3-4)

Reflecting on the truth and reading this little reflection this morning, I thought: How many times do I fall into the “little white lie” and what would it look like if you could read my soul? The thoughts of my heart? To stand transparent in faith is analogous to standing naked in life. It is allowing everyone to see you as you are, with wrinkles, scares, fate and muscle, the tattoos, the youth, the aging and burdens placed for complete inspection. We may ask ourselves; how often do I look in the mirror and give thanks for the gift of my body?
As a priest in the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement for the past 15 years one of the best and most difficult parts of the apostolate of the Catholic Church is sharing my feelings and thereby exposing/being transparent about parts of my life, the allowing another into the messy, joyful, wounded and gratitude filled life I and everyone experiences.
And it is hard! Why? Because of ego, embarrassment, lack of trust to name a few. The quote from Job above reminds us of the ultimate goal…to be open and transparent with our words and actions to God and to our neighbor.
In our relationships with others, this means that just like standing before the mirror and giving thanks to God for our body, we must be able to ultimately stand before the mirror of the Holy Spirit and give thanks for our soul even with the scars we have placed on it because of disobedience and sin. It is in this action of gratitude and thankfulness that the Sacraments can begin their works in the grace of God’s mercy.
This vulnerability of opening our heart to another is seen in the sacramental union of husband and wife in a particular way. The union becomes in a especially transparent way the two becoming one flesh. The intimate union of God’s creative goodness fulfilling the vulnerability of our Lord Jesus in the manger and on the cross of life. When this begins to occur the vulnerability and transparency becomes the choice of loving…to share the life and to receive the life given in the equality of dignity…
God Bless
Fr. Mark.

The Spirit is a Spirit of truth. We cannot afford to tell half truths or “little white lies,” let alone larger more serious lies.
The goal is to be so transparent that if people could read the secret thoughts of our hearts, we would not be embarrassed by what they might see.
May my every thought and my every word be righteous and loving. (Daily Meditations With The Holy Spirit by Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. for June 22)