Looking in the mirror to check our appearance is important. But more crucial is reflecting on who we are as people. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Friday of week 23 of ordinary time can be found here.
Have you ever caught sight of yourself in the mirror and suddenly realised that you have been walking around for most of the day with something stuck to your face? A bit of food perhaps, toothpaste round your mouth, or a smudge of something on your forehead. The embarrassing thing is that everyone else may have been able to see it perfectly well. The only person who couldn’t see it was you. It can sometimes be the same with the faults and weaknesses we have in our lives. We can be remarkably good at spotting them in other people, while being oblivious to them in our own lives.
Jesus talks about this in the Gospel reading today. As he so often does, Jesus presents us with a wonderfully exaggerated image. “Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”, he asks. In other words, it’s often quite easy to spot the relatively minor fault in someone else while ignoring the much bigger failing of which we ourselves might be guilty. It’s only by acknowledging our own shortcomings that we can ever hope to help others. This is why, whenever a priest hears a confession, after he has pronounced God’s absolution he says to the penitent: “pray for me, a sinner too”. The one who has just offered advice and given God’s forgiveness acknowledges his own need of help and forgiveness.
The key is self-awareness and self-reflection – checking the mirror regularly, if you like. Paul gives us a good lesson in this in our first reading. “If I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting”, he says. Perhaps Paul was aware that being a preacher, teacher and apostle might lead one to become self-important. Paul reminds himself and us that it’s not the preacher that’s important but the message – “I have made myself a servant to all”, he says. Through prayer and sacramental confession, may we adopt that important practice of self-reflection. In doing so, and aware of God’s mercy, may we become more faithful servants, and better able to help others.
Mass today is in St Saviour’s at 10am.
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 