REFLECTIONS TODAY

The point of the metaphors in this Gospel passage is to avoid hypocrisy, to avoid pretending to help others when you yourself need help. As the first metaphor has it, to be a hypocrite is to be blind, to fail to see that “charity begins at home.” And many, if not, most of us, fall into this trap. We pretend to provide guidance to others, to help solve their problems when we ourselves need guidance, when we ourselves have problems we cannot even solve. “Blind spots” are common among us, and so we need to have others point them out to us, at least to make us aware of them. But some “blind spots” are not that “blind” at all: they are there simply because we refuse to admit or accept them. This is the more dangerous and more difficult to cure. Increasing our capacity to listen or receive feedback from others is a major step towards conquering blind spots and, thus, hypocrisy. Knowing who we really are, our strengths and our weaknesses, and accepting them, is a noble virtue. Do you think you have “blind spots”? What could they be? Are you willing to listen to feedbacks no matter how painful they are?

GOSPEL • LUKE 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.