“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye." Luke 6:42
by Rev Deacon Michael Kennedy
Homily 8th Sunday of the year
Readings today challenge us to think about something we all do.
Something we all engage in.
Something we all are
Judgemental
Thinking we are better than the other person
Speaking about others behind their backs.
And all of, hand on heart, are guilty of this, Hand on heart…
Story told of St Francis de Sales- A certain person went to him for confession and confessed the sin of gossiping about his neighbour. St Francis told him to go to the top of the church Tower with a bag of feathers, to scatter the contents and then come back to him.
So he did this and came back to St Francis. Then St Francis said to him, now go outside and collect all the feathers and put them back into the bag.
Somewhat stunned the person said, but this is impossible, the wind would have carried them far and wide.
St Francis replied “And that is what has happened to all the things you have said about others, all the remarks you have made, true or not, it does not matter, and the damage to the other person cannot be taken back, once the words are spoken. We can apologise and say that we really did not mean it, or claim that they misunderstood, but we can never retract words as if we had never spoken them.
Something to think about
In a few day’s time we begin the Season of Lent- Lent is a time for us all too really examine and think about ourselves, the person we are, the person we may have become, the person we are turning into.
And to ask ourselves as Christians
Is the Person, who others see, do they remind them of the love of Jesus Christ
Is the person, who others see, draw them to see the person of Jesus Christ active in the world?
Does the Person, who others see, remind them of the person of Jesus Christ, full of joy, Hope, Compassion and love?
Does the person, whom others see, remind me of a Person I want to be?
So many times we can be guilty of seeing faults in others without seeing and recognising firstly the faults in ourselves. without acknowledging them.
The Readings today are a call for all of us to Step back, Stop, to examine, and to make things Right.
That is not to say that there is not good in all of us. All of us have goodness within us, and this we need to celebrate and thank God for. But sadly, our words, our thoughts, our actions, can cover up that goodness, sadly people cannot see and appreciate that goodness- it can become hidden from view.
The Gospel today gives us the challenge to change the way we think, to appreciate in all humility the people we are, yes our good and strong points but also our not so good points.
There is a poster which says the following
Watch your thoughts- they become your words. Watch your Thoughts, they become your actions, Watch your thoughts, they become your habits, Watch your thoughts, they become your characteristics, Watch your thoughts, they become YOUR DESTINY
As we journey together into Lent this coming week Let us pray that we can be people whose words that we utter are words of Love, whose actions are actions of love and compassion, whose habits are for the common good of all people, whose characteristics are the characteristics of Jesus Christ whose destiny is to see the Lord, in those around us, in those close to us, and one day, to see him unworthy though we are, face to face.
So may the words that flow from our hearts be words of love, joy hope, forgiveness, words that will enable us to glorify the Lord by our lives and build up God’s kingdom, here in this place and in this time.
Amen
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