Many issues have both psychological and spiritual components as we hear today in our Gospel, “How can you say to your brother,‘…let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
The message is: Be careful of pointing out the shortcomings, moral failings and annoying tendencies of others because that can be a function of pride and ego.
Thomas Merton said, “Nothing is more suspicious in a man who seems holy, than an impatient desire to reform other men.”
Instead ask yourself: Why do I precisely find this sin or character defect of others particularly annoying?
Jesus implies it’s because it reminds us of a similar failing in ourselves that we don’t recognize, and so we project it on to others.
Instead, before you correct others, think of your self-knowledge and experience borne from your past struggles.
Only after that, Jesus encourages us to use our clearer sight to correct and evangelize others.
For this week, do what someone shared they heard a retreat director ask each retreatant:
--Call to mind a person that you find hard to take and then recount in detail the characteristics that make the person so obnoxious to you.
Then, as the retreat director recommended:
Go to your room and ask God to forgive those same faults in yourself.
Amen.
