Thursday 23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022

Fr. Rick’s Two Minute Homily Thursday 23rd Week in Ordinary Time 09-08-2022
Thursday 23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022
Luke 6:20-26 Wednesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

HUMILITY AND MERCY.

St. Claude de la Colombeire once said, “A humble person sees only their faults. It is a sign of little virtue to notice the imperfections of others.” 1 How much we need Jesus to see only our faults and to make excuses for the faults that other people commit.

If anyone had the right to accuse others of their faults, our Lord Jesus did on the cross. Though he was innocent, he freely laid down his life for us while we were still sinners. His only cry from the cross was, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

In his mercy, he says this every time we sin. “Father, if they knew how much I love them, they would never sin.” He told St. Faustina once that his mercy always comes before his justice. Praise God that that’s how it is on death’s side.

How different we are when we love ourselves more than we love Jesus. It’s easy to accuse others of their faults in our minds and hearts. It’s so easy to put a distance between ourselves and them. We can be so happy with ourselves that we are not like that person.

Gossiping about others is the fruit of this sin. We must point someone else’s faults out to others to convince ourselves of our righteousness. But oh, how blind that can be! In a word, we project onto others what is most true about ourselves. That’s why we see it so quickly and condemn it so readily in other people because it is a part of us. The sad thing is that we are blind to this truth.

The splinter will continue to grow in our eyes and become a plank until we pray for the humility to see as Jesus sees and repent from our sins. What to do? Hold tightly onto a crucifix and listen to Jesus pray over and over to his Father, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

How many times will Jesus have to pray this prayer before we begin to see? As many as it takes.

IGNITE THE FIRE IN YOUR HEART!

Father Rick Pilger, I.C.
pastor@bscchurch.com

1 Humbling Ourselves – Catholic Education Resource Center. https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/spiritual-life/humbling-oneself.html

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