3 March 2019. (8th Sunday O. T.)
This Sunday’s Gospel continues the teaching of Jesus to the multitudes. It does this by using some comparisons that must have been very common in Jesus’ time: the blind cannot lead the blind…; a disciple cannot be greater than his teacher…; the speck in the eye of the other and the beam in one’s own… all related to the message of love of neighbour of last Sunday.
How easily we are willing to see the defects of our sisters and brothers, yet we always have excuses for our own. We want to show the way to others when we ourselves are lost; we want to be teachers even when we have learned almost nothing; we want to correct others without seeing our own defects. Those who act in this way Jesus called hypocrites.
We do not know what is in the depths of others, but quickly we judge and condemn. We think we are superior and in possession of the truth, and that is why we have the right to judge. Although the Lord tells us not to judge so as not to be judged. It is easy for us to be unfair and we do not think that the same yardstick will be used on us as we use on others. St. Anthony Mary Claret gives us a criterion that can help us not to make mistakes: “Excuse the intention, when not able to justify the deed”. It is the attitude and the intention of the individual that should count. The Lord invites us continually to be “authentic”. We must look at ourselves to see how we really are. Try to imitate the Lord not only externally, but mainly in having the same sentiments as he had, have his same attitudes. From these, will be born our deeds.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, CMF
