THE WORD
1 Cor 9,16-19.22-27 / Lk 6,39-42
[Jesus told his disciples] a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
IN OTHER WORDS
My brother lost his vision at the age of two from having had measles. He got married to a special education teacher who had also lost her sight at an early age for the same reason. Trained by my mother to an almost normal life, my brother, Nony, had confidence in himself to live life. He knew a lot of skills: doing household chores, earning a living as a masseur at a plush hotel, playing string music, rearing up three children. Imagine him cook meals, wash and iron his clothes, crack pili nuts, buy goods at Project 4 Wet Market, take public vehicles to his workplace, or attend Holy Mass. He could even give me clear directions to places in Manila. He was a practical teacher to his wife. A blind leading another blind and the sighted as well!
Acceptance of Nony’s own blindness gave him insight that beyond his physical blindness was a vision of himself doing good because deep within was a spring of God’s goodness; a vision which opened him up to seeing other people whose presence he could feel, as persons whom he could trust, work, and live with. He conquered his blindness, thus, enabled him to see the truth and beauty of others while fulfilling his own role in the family and service in the society.
Learn before you teach; cleanse yourself before you require it of others; clarify ideas before you demand action; search for the truth before you give your judgment; forgive before you ask to be forgiven; renew your mindset and transform your ways before you claim your Christian identity. Then perhaps we would hear Jesus telling us, “Happy are you, humble and true, hypocrisy is far away from you. You are my disciple.”
- Sister Tessa Artita, SSpS | Tarlac City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
