They tell the story of a well-known archbishop who, dressed
in all his episcopal and elegant vestments, boarded a ship to go to Europe. We are going to
omit the name so as not to hurt any susceptibility.As he went aboard the large
ocean liner, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him.
After looking his quarters, he went back to the purser’s desk and asked if he
could leave his gold watch and other valuables on the ship’s safe. He explained
that ordinarily he never did this sort of thing but he had been to his cabin
and had met the man who would occupy the other bed and judging from his
appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The
purser accepted the responsibility of caring for valuables and remarked, “It’s
alright his excellency. I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man
has just been up here ad deposited all his valuables for the same reason.” Jesus
calls hypocrites, those who notice a tiny sprinter in others but are blind to
the plank in them. They are unaware of their shortcomings while they decry the
faults of others. These people are often negative and hostile. They have the
habit of focusing on the bas side of everything especially the bad side of
people. They are pruned to criticize and find fault. May be because they are
looking for a person without blemish. But, we are sorry, “He who would find a
friend without fault will never find him.” The reason is simple: there is no
one without fault and there is no ideal man, only real person. The appealing
thing about faultfinding in others is that it takes the focus off our own
deficiencies and helps us to feel ever so self-righteous. It’s good to
criticize others than we being criticized; there is no obligation on our part.
It hurts us. Instead of criticizing others, why not caring for them? If we care
for them, we will listen not only to what they are saying but also to what they
are trying to say with or without words. If we care for them we won’t impose
our views, our plans, ideas, discipline, advice, correction, guidance and our
judgment. If we care for them, we won’t jump at every opportunity to point out
your blunders to make you feel foolish… If we care for them we will show them
how talented, capable, industrious, genuine, original, creative, skilled,
friendly, trustworthy, resourceful, good and lovable persons they are. Instead
of criticizing others, why not we try to also know ourselves? How? There are
three ways. First, we can know ourselves by what we do. We are identified by
our work. But that is not always a good way to know ourselves. When we do
nothing, does it mean that we are nothing already? Sick persons who are
bed-ridden cannot do anything, are they nothing? So, we do not judge ourselves
simply by what we do. Second, we can be known by what we say. But there are times that we are careful
with our words because we don’t like to hurt or make enemies. We are very
careful with our words because we don’t like to lose our friends. Third, we can
be known by what we think. Because we do things according to what we think is
right. We do not judge ourselves in terms of what we do, neither in terms of
what we say, but in terms of what we think because no one censors, the way we
think. We think according to our pleasure. Like for example: it is easy to be
tolerant. It is easy to be good. It is easy to be good inside the church. It is
very easy to smile inside the church because everybody seems to be good here.
And so when we go to communion, we quietly full in line because we are prepared
and very much disposed for it. But when we see someone who does not full in
line or hear a baby crying or a child running to and pro inside the church, an
urge to hit these undisciplined kiddos is very much in us. And so we can know
ourselves in the way we think and in the way we react to a given stimulus or
situation. That’s why in our gospel today, Jesus asks us to search as carefully
as possible for our own faults as we do for the faults of others. Because when
we are aware of our own weaknesses and strive to overcome them, knowing that we
have also faults we are slow to judge and swift to give the benefit of the
doubt. The Greek philosopher Socrates says that nature has given us two ears,
two eyes and only one tongue so that we should hear more than we speak. But now
it’s the opposite, we speak more and we hear less especially if a good man
commits wrongs even once all his good works are gone and erased. So if we
cannot say something good about another person, then it is better to remain with
out big mouths so closed • AE
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