FRIDAY
It's best to read the Gospel passage before listening to or reading the reflection.
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In our Gospel passage today, Jesus invites us to see life more clearly. He asks us to clean up the way we see ourselves and the way we see others. First, Jesus asked a general question:
‘Can one blind person guide another blind person?’
Then he made his point much more directly:
‘Hypocrite! Why do you observe the splinter in your sister or brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own?’
We are blind when we see so clearly the faults of others but fail to recognise our own faults. We are blind when we see every fault of others, even the small ones, while calmly paying no attention to our own shortcomings.
It is easy to place great weight on the faults of others while seeing our own as harmless. It is easy to blame others while justifying ourselves.
Jesus leaves us in no doubt today: this harsh way of speaking and judging is hypocrisy.
Pope Francis, in his letter on the call to holiness in today’s world, said:
‘Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of gentleness.’ (Rejoice and be Glad, no. 72)
‘The way of gentleness’ …. Think about it ...
Then Francis went on to say:
‘If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and gentleness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining.’ (ibid)
Today, Jesus invites us to see the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and gentleness.
This is how Jesus looks at us. He always sees the good in us. He never sees our failings and sins as unforgivable problems but rather as the mistakes of children. He doesn’t focus on the sins, but rather on the sinner – on the ones who make the mistakes.