Friday of week 23 in Ordinary Time 

1 Timothy 1:1-2,​12-14
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11
Luke 6:39-42

GETTING A BETTER VIEW

In an electrifying letter to Timothy, St. Paul lays bare his past: a blasphemer, a relentless persecutor, and a man overflowing with arrogance. Yet, in an incredible twist of fate, he finds himself mercifully treated, all because he acted in ignorance and unbelief! The gospel reading that follows Paul’s striking confession bursts onto the scene with a powerful imagery from Jesus: a massive wooden beam in our own eye! Not just a minuscule grain of sand or a pesky splinter—no, it’s a BEAM, emphasizing the colossal impact of our blind behaviors on others!

Both Paul’s bold admission and Jesus’ sharp critique spotlight the profound behaviors that often escape our notice yet loom large in the lives of those around us. While Paul attributes his actions to ignorance, Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter, confronting us with the stinging label of “hypocrite.” To really drive the point home, He compares the faults of our neighbors to mere splinters, overshadowed by the towering beam obstructing our own vision. The unsettling nature of Jesus’ words takes us on a journey of introspection that is, without a doubt, meant to shake us awake!

This gospel has always posed a thrilling challenge for me: What is the deeper truth behind Jesus’ revelation? At first glance, it beckons us to dissect our behavior with razor-sharp scrutiny, asking when we, like Paul, might slip into blasphemy or arrogance. It suggests that while our brother may only struggle with a tiny splinter, we grapple with a raging beam blocking our understanding.

But perhaps this raw and direct approach pushes us further still! Could it be that evaluating our behavior against mere standards of “good” isn’t enough? Instead of just mulling over our faults in a loop of self-reflection, might we consider the perspectives of those around us? What if we dared to examine ourselves through the eyes of our spouses, children, friends, and colleagues? That shift in viewpoint might unveil a dramatically different image of who we are and how we leave our mark on the world.

This quest won’t be easy; we might discover truths we don’t want to hear. But isn’t that the courageous journey required to dislodge the beam that Jesus so vividly illustrates? How do others truly view us? Can we uncover an objective understanding of ourselves? Our biases and prejudices often cloak our shortcomings, trapping us in a cycle of ignorance, much like Paul described.

PRAYER:

Lord, grant us the grace to see ourselves as others do and as You see us. Your mercy knows no bounds, yet we yearn for the wisdom and clarity to recognize our flaws as they are perceived by others and by You. Lead us down a path of genuine contrition so that we can finally remove that stubborn wooden beam from our eyes!

Amen!

Fr Joseph Osho