Growing up in New Mexico I remember that there are many sayings, or dichos, for just about anything. These cross my mind just about every day but there was one that I hadn't thought of for a long time, and that was in the form of a question, Con esa boca comes? This was asked whenever you used a bad word which was nothing compared to what comes forth as entertainment today in movies, tv, etc., or when you told a lie or said something bad about someone else. I was reminded of this saying by the first reading today as 
I read, "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips living among people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the Seraphim flew to me holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said, "See now that this has touched your lips your wickedness is removed, your sin is purged."'"
All of this got my imagination going and I started remembering how many people touch your life daily by what they say to you, and then of course, so often good news reached you through the words and voice of another. And of course, you can't help but think of all the damage that is done daily by words of anger, hate, racism, violence, etc. I thought if that Seraphim is on duty yet, he sure has a big job on his hands and he needs so many, many embers and tongs to redirect the damage being done by the use of our ability to speak.
Our reading from Isaiah continues, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?' 'Here I am Lord, send me.'" This brings to mind the Letter of James. Do you remember this practical man and the many practical thoughts, ideas in his letter? To connect with our first reading, I remember one of the things he said, "Consider how small a fire can set a whole forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire ... for every kind of beast and bird or reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison; with it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. This need not be so." This reminds me that St. James was not only a holy apostle, but he never forgot that he was also human, a man of the world.
How well all of this fits in with the gospel as a strong reminder of how much good can be done by our power of speech, "While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Genesareth ... then he sat down and taught the crowd from the boat ... when they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him." This is such a powerful reminder that the word of God and good words spoken by us can effect change just the way that lies and anger have wrought destruction throughout human history.
I guess the readings today are a good reminder of how important each one of us is in the unfolding of God's will. We should take God's word personally; it is for all of us, not just some special few. Doesn't God speak to each one of us individually when he says, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?' 'Here I am, Lord, send me.'"
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