Luke 6:39-42 To See Clearly
The Lord has entrusted to us a mighty task: to give to the world what they do not seek but what they need: Jesus Christ. “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God.” “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (Ps 27:8)
It is very easy for a priest to fall in love with the souls entrusted to his care. The heart of a priest should not be that of a husband, but rather of a father. He can see what the spiritual needs of his children are because he can see the love of the Lord in each and every one of them. Their struggles, their difficulties are opportunities for growth, for spiritual progress. And a father always seeks that his children grow and mature. Tough love is absolutely necessary. It is a part of life where struggles are a part of man’s journey towards truth, love and goodness. There is nothing more beautiful than an honest heart, a humble heart, a contrite heart, a heart that is seeking the Heart of Christ. “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel. Woe to me if I do not seek the face of God more clearly, to love him more dearly, to stand by him more nearly.
“Brothers and sisters: if I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” (1Cor 9:16).
The desire to approach the Lord is a grace. We must ask for this grace constantly. All of us desire a humble heart, a glowing heart, a heart that is pure. But we do not necessarily desire the means towards conversion, purification and imitation. We want Christ but without the Cross. The cross includes the thorn stuck in my eye. It blocks my vision. It distorts the way I see myself, others and God. The Lord told his disciples, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into the pit?” Who will be the first to remove the splinter? Who will be the first to remove the beam? I cannot be a disciple. I cannot be a follower. I cannot be a Christian until I have removed the obstacles that distort the way I see my life, my world, my neighbor and my God.
Life is a blessing! Life is good! Life can be lived as long as it is a gift, an offering to the world. Do not ask what others can do for you; ask what you can do for others! If your love is rejected, then your love must be purified. Learn from the Master, who taught his disciples how to give without recompense and you shall live a life worthy of the Master.
“The heart of a priest should not be that of a husband, but rather of a father.... And a father always seeks that his children grow and mature. Tough love is absolutely necessary.”
ReplyDeleteThank you Father for giving us what we need, for taking your obligation seriously and for risking criticism yourself for our sake.
Our society is in desperate need of GOOD fathers. It’s not just children who need them. I need one too.
That tough love doesn’t feel good at the time, but in retrospect it can be the one thing that hurls you from one level to the next.
The ride and the crash landing can be painful, but once the shock wears off and you see where you’ve landed, you’re glad to be there and even appreciate the trip.
“Who will be the first to remove the splinter? Who will be the first to remove the beam? I cannot be a disciple. I cannot be a follower. I cannot be a Christian until I have removed the obstacles that distort the way I see my life, my world, my neighbor and my God.”
Why is the beam so hard to remove? Because I have to look in the mirror to see it and the mirror doesn’t lie.
Sometimes when I’ve tried to remove it, it breaks up into many smaller beams that must all be removed before I can see clearly, and some may require professional assistance for their extraction.
There is no cost to me to point out the splinter in your eye.