The readings for September 11, 2009
1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14
Psalm 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
Luke 6:39-42
"Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye…?"
The truth of what Jesus says in this gospel passage is an exceedingly hard one to come to terms with. In our very flawed, very human way, we are all too ready to look upon the failings of others, i.e., Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, et al than we are to look in the mirror and see our own.
One of the things Jesus tells us here is to purify ourselves, to see ourselves for what we really are. It is only by knowing ourselves thoroughly that we can begin to know and understand others. We have so much bombarding our senses in our culture today. Our thoughts go outward in response to these auditory and visual stimuli. We ponder the news, listen to music, read and watch too much television. While these activities are worthwhile to a limited degree, they can cut into our time for quiet self-reflection. We might not be in touch with our innermost thoughts. We might not realize our tendencies to react inappropriately, such as by judging others.
We should evaluate how much time we are setting aside from the noises and harmonies of life to set our own house in order. For example, I have tried, over the last year or so, to curtail most of my television watching. I have replaced it with reading the Scriptures, writing my reflections in my blog, listening to EWTN radio (although even the latter can get “noise-some” at times), and trying to attend daily Mass.
One of the reasons we are so willing to accuse others is that we know so little about ourselves. More often than not what enrages or irritates us about another is our own flaws that we know about, but do nothing to correct—we’d rather deflect attention away from ourselves. Jesus offers the remedy for this--self-awareness. And it is in this self-awareness that empathy and sympathy for the sinner grows. It is in understanding our own sinfulness that we become aware of the splendor of the love of God. By looking in the mirror and seeing our sins, we learn the compassion of Jesus. Frequent examination of my conscience and the great Sacrament of Confession has been a great source of comfort to me in these trying times.
Leading others to God rarely starts with haranguing them about their sins and weaknesses. Although this is sometimes the ploy one must use on the most hardened cases—again, as in the cases of the Ted Kennedys, the Nancy Pelosis, and so on. More often than not, we open the hardened heart of a sinner by sitting and listening without judging, without trying to fix all the problems we are hearing.
In short, the solution begins with unconditional love, prayer and compassion. And this awareness of our own sinfulness teaches us compassion and unconditional love.
No comments:
Post a Comment