Word to the Wise
Monday, June 20, 2016 - Monday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 and Matt 7:1-5]"Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?" [Matthew]
MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2016 MONDAY IN THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
[2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 and Matthew 7:1-5]
"Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?" [Matthew]
When the circumstances permit and this gospel passage is assigned for the day, I look around for a piece of wood that has some splinters in it and bring it with me to Mass. Then, at the beginning of the homily, I hand the piece of wood to the nearest person in the pews and ask them to pass it around. The looks on folks' faces range from amusement to ruefulness. Gossip and negative judgment are among the most common faults I hear in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus tackles this problem head-on in the Sermon on the Mount.
One of the most edifying experiences I ever had with a youngster was to hear that child say, "I should never have said that about her. I don't know what is going on in her life." That bit of wisdom could change the way we deal with gossip and judgment. We might consider how we would feel if we were the subject of the caustic gossip and judgment. We might ask ourselves if we would say the same things if Jesus were listening. Well....he is. Now, who has that piece of wood in the eye? AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
71 ms
4
