Readings: Sirach 27:4-7; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45
Take My Hand Before You Hurt Yourself!
1. Two friends were walking on the road; one was blind, and the other his guide. The Guide would explain the scenery to his blind friend as they went along. Then a beautiful girl walked past, and the Guide was fascinated. He then began to describe how beautiful the girl was to his friend. As the girl moved on, the Guide turned and followed the girl with his eyes while walking backward till he bumped into a pole. His blind friend told him, here, take my hand before you hurt yourself. Today’s Gospel encourages us not to follow people who do not know where they are going. “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” (Lk. 6:39). But Jesus invites us to follow him, and he will give us rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29). “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn. 14:6). He invites us to follow him because he knows the way to the father. He will lead us to him.
2. We have often taken it upon ourselves to be a guide, a yardstick, and a standard of moral rectitude for others while forgetting to correct the ills in ourselves first. We find fault with everyone and complain about everything they do. Vima Dasan, S.J. writes in his book ‘His Word Lives’ about a family. “When the family returned from Sunday morning service, father criticized the sermon; the daughter thought the choir’s singing was atrocious, and the mother found fault with the organist’s playing. The small boy of the family piped up, “But it was a good show for 50p, don’t you think, Dad?” We like to find fault and criticize people a lot. This can bring harm to people, especially when they are doing their best in their allotted tasks. The first reading asks us to guard our tongue and adds, “Speech is a test of a man and reveals the bent of his mind” (Sir. 27:5). We often ignore the plank in our own eyes while attempting to remove a splinter in our neighbor’s eyes. Haven’t we pointed accusing fingers at others while forgetting that some of those fingers are accusingly pointing directly at us? If we were to do soul-searching, we would discover that we are all sinful people who need God’s mercy; then, we would say with David, “If you O Lord would mark our guilt, who would survive?” (Ps. 130:3). “For I know my offense; my sin is always before me. Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.” (Ps. 51:5-7).
3. Last Sunday’s readings urged us to exercise restraint in dealing with others as David did with Saul, who was out to kill him (1Sam. 26:2-23). Today, we are told to exercise restraint in using our tongues. St. James reminds us, “All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.”(James 3:2). We should not be eager to speak, to correct and condemn others while ignoring the misgivings in ourselves. We must examine ourselves in word and deed. Are we so perfect and without fault? Why am I so eager to correct others? Am I without the fault that I condemn or criticize others? What is my intention in pointing out the flaws of others? Is my correction done out of love, or is it to tear down and humiliate others? Have I used my words to destroy people rather than encourage them?
4. Christ tells us that a good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit; what kind of fruit does your tree bear? Does it produce good and healthy words as fruits? Are those words consoling and encouraging or are they harmful and destructive? What is the effect of your correction on others? Does it help them be better people or provoke them to anger and humiliation? As we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, let us take the hand of Jesus and follow him into the desert of prayer, fasting, and penance. We pray that Christ will help us as we take our brothers and sisters by their hands and help them in their pilgrimage of life lest they hurt themselves.
5. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, you who did not open your mouth before Pilate, do not allow me to open my mouth when I do not know what to say and how to say it. Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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