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Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Sirach 27:4-7
Psalm: Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
Remove the wooden beam from your eye first, (Luke 6:42).
Hello, my brothers and sisters, in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us, his disciples, some practical advice for living our lives. He challenges us to use our words as he used his words in his ministry – to heal, to restore, and to bring back life, joy and hope.
Today’s readings also instruct us as disciples to share our Christen life. That’s what Pope Francis tells us, right? We need to be missionary disciples bring the Good News to those who can’t come to church, don’t come to church, or won’t come to church. We are called to share our Christian life, love and spiritual health by our words, and to avoid gossiping about others. We are called to not pass rash thoughtless and pain-inflicting judgments on others. We don’t want to damage their good reputation and cause them irreparable harm.
Let’s take a look at the readings. The first reading, taken from the Book of Sirach, teaches that what is inside us is revealed through our conversation – as the grain and husks are separated in a farmer’s sieve, as the quality of the metal is revealed in the potter’s fire, and as the size and quality of a tree’s fruit reveal the care it has received from the planter. Sirach’s teaching gives us an excellent preview for today’s Gospel. And what does the Gospel teach us? We need to think before we speak. Perhaps a modern take would be to think before we post.
The Responsorial Psalm advises us to spend our time praising and thanking God for all His blessings.
In the second reading St. Paul tell us that instead of wasting time on gossip, he teaches the Corinthians, “to be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain,” (1 Cor 15:58).
Now in today’s Gospel, we’re still reading from the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. Jesus condemns our careless, malicious and rash judgments about other people. He uses funny examples like the blind man leading another blind man and one about a man with a log stuck in his eye who is trying to remove a tiny speck from someone else ’s eye.
As disciples, we are called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, not to spread gossip or hatred. This can be a great challenge for us in this highly connected world that makes it too easy to post something online without thinking. But that is certainly something we need to be mindful of these days.
Homework:
- Take a look at all your social media apps and scroll through your posts. Do your words help heal, restore and bring back life, joy and hope in others?
- Thinking about our Psalm today, “Lord, it is good to give thanks to you,” (Ps 92:2), what are some concrete things you can do for others to show your thanks to God?
Got it? Are you going to do your homework? Good! May each of us come to know the grace and peace of Jesus Christ. May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!