Auditing My Spiritual Life
Sir 27: 4-7; 1 Cor 15: 54-58; Lk
6:39-45 (8 C)
“If we take happiness from
God’s hand, must we not take sorrow too? (Divine Office)
This is the Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time. Usually, Lent would have begun by now, but
this year it is late. When we return to
ordinary times in June, we typically begin with the 9th or 10th Sunday of the Liturgical
year. Today’s gospel reading is full of proverbs, phrased statements of the
truth. Let’s reflect upon three of them. Firstly, “A good tree produces good fruit, and
a bad tree produces bad fruit and each tree is known by its yield (Lk 6: 43). When a person does good things, we know this is a good person. When a person is continually stirring up
trouble, we know that this person is troubled. The personality-fruit of a
person reveals itself! In the same way, it is not enough for us to say whether
we are saved or not yet saved!
Secondly, “Why look at the speck in your brother’s eye
when you miss the plank in your own?” (Lk 6:41). We tend to transfer our irritation over our failings
to others. When we go through negative times, we have to take a step back and
consider what we are doing that upsets others and us.
Thirdly, “Can a blind man act as a guide to a blind man? Will they not fall into a ditch?" (Lk 6:39). We cannot guide others until and unless we have a good sense of
values. We must not only be well-informed but also be committed to correcting
one’s deficiencies. The teaching authority of the Catholic Church is called the
Magisterium. The magisterium consists of the Pope, the Bishops, theologians, and
consultants. The magisterium has to set
the course for us to relate our faith and morals to the evolving times. The dogmatic
statements didn’t just happen yesterday.
They evolved over many centuries as the Holy Mother Church continues to
grow in her understanding of herself. The magisterium does not just exist in
the hierarchy. It also exists in the
home and those who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit
helps us to grow in our understanding of faith. In times of doubt and
uncertainties, we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to help us grow in faith. The
Magisterium helps us to enlighten our minds in the dark times of any era.
Jesus warns against self-righteousness. Just keeping the
letter of the law is not enough, for God searches the heart. We need to follow
the spirit of a letter in the law, as St Paul teaches. We need to do the right
thing with the right intention. He wants us to practice self-critique and be
aware of our motives. We need to turn to God within our hearts, to purify our
inmost intentions. This is what King David meant when he prayed, “Lord, create
in me a pure heart; put a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51:10).
“May he open your heart to
his law and his commandments” (Divine Office)
No comments:
Post a Comment