THE LOG AND THE SPECK IN OUR EYES

Meditation for Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 12:1-9; Mt 7:1-5)

The human mind is the seat of judgement. Our basic mode of reasoning takes the form of judgement and making choices and arriving at a conclusion. It appears practically impossible for someone to apply reason on issues without making judgement about them. Thus, when Jesus says in the gospel of today, “Judge not, that you be not judged”, it appears he is asking us to ‘suspend’ reason about what we perceive. But listening further, He says, “For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” To pronounce judgement is to ‘conclude’ for others, and attempt to ‘determine’ the fate of someone. That means the one who raises the measure of his judgement as an objective standard for others has automatically accepted to subject himself to that same standard.

 

Obviously, our subjective views are not clear enough to see through another person’s whole intention and actions to conclude their life. We hardly see enough of ourselves; how can we claim to have perceived ourselves completely of others! It is hypocritical to abandon the log in one’s eyes while noticing the speck in his brother’s eye. That is why the example of Abraham in the first reading will forever remain fresh in our hearts. He demonstrated clearly in his obedience of faith to God’s instructions that God is all knowing, and he ‘reasoned’ out his journey in favor of God’s will.

 

Thus, Abraham embarked on the journey of faith without seeing the whole picture; without knowing what it would take or where it would end. He journeyed on with the same energy and confidence, “still going towards the Negeb.” This is how the ‘judgment of faith’ carries us forward beyond the limits of the ‘judgement from self’. This self-based rationalizing is usually blind to the self and completely biased against others. The judgment it produces cannot take us far. But when faith is the light of reason, our vision of life pierces through to the heavens and our horizon is endless. Then, we journey on; and like Abraham who became a source of blessing to others, we lead them to the right path. Instead of judging and condemning others, we inspire, uplift, encourage and bless them to continue their journey of life in the path of God’s will. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Monday June 26, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

“TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?”

 “TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?”
CMO RETREAT
ST ANN, PPL, LAGOS
Saturday June 24^th, 2023
(Jn 6:68)

The verse is taken from Jesus’ teaching about His Body and Blood, saying, “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53). It was a difficult teaching for the people, a deep mystery that was hard for them to understand. Many of them got confused, for they were holding on to the technical, rational and logical understanding of the message, in addition to their cultural and religious prohibition on eating blood (Lev 17:10). While many of the Jews outrightly did not believe Him, but many of disciples, who earlier believed in Him turned their back on Him (Jn 6:64-65). However, Jesus did not bend His teaching to suit them nor begged them to stay, instead He turned to the twelve apostles and said to them, “What about you, do not want to go away too?” Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn 6:67-69).

 

In our society today, there is so much confusion in every aspect of our lives. We are facing economic crisis, socio-political crisis, family life and marriage crisis are increasing. The new age moral issues are intoxicating our younger generation. Can men of this generation confidently claim that they are the head of their families or they have been reduced to mere ‘bread winners’? There is a new wave of spirituality spreading across, so loud, so exciting, so compelling but with little content and value; bringing little or no conversion and union with God. In the midst of these confusion and attack on the mysteries of faith, ‘To whom shall we go?’ It may be easy to take the shortcut and walk away and remain in our self-enclosed ideas and ways of life. This can lead to frustration and depression as we continue to circle around the confusions of life. Some others have settled for the most convenient and easy approaches to life and faith, rejecting every imprint of the Cross of Christ, they get drowned in the euphoria a life of pleasure and affluence that is not stable nor enduring. Thus, we have people of this generation, who easily walk away at the slightest difficulty or discomfort. Lacking patience, they wander like sheep without shepherd, dwelling only on the surface of the message and events around them, instead of exploring deeper to understand the mysteries of life.

 

The Christian fathers of today must rise to the challenge. We have the example of Simon Peter and the other apostles to go by. They equally did not have an in-depth knowledge of what Jesus was teaching about the Eucharist. But they stood on the existing relationship of faith they had with Him, and placed their trust in Him over and above their ego. Their vulnerability at placing their faith in Christ became their courage in the face of the confusion of their lack of understanding of the mysteries. Knowledge gives us power—power to control what we have mastered. But for the apostles who remained, confidence in Jesus became their knowledge, for they have come to know that He is the all-knowing! Thus, the act of choice-making is already decided in Christ Jesus. That means the Christian Fathers must have confidence in Jesus as Peter did. This is the assurance they have in the midst of the confusions and crisis of our time. If we are not resolute in Jesus, how can we be resolute in the face of the difference voices that is appealing to us! This is so important especially in the face of the huge family responsibilities father are expected to undertake.

 

“To whom shall we go?” echoes our yearning for understanding of the present situations each of us experiences, and it exposes our incapacity to resolve perfectly all the crisis before us and ahead of us. However, as Christ’s faithful, it becomes a rhetorical question since we have already acknowledged Jesus as the answer. Therefore, “To whom shall we go?” becomes an expression of our reaffirmation of faith and trust in Jesus as the only we must follow. It becomes important that Christian Fathers of today must re-align their steps to follow Jesus more closely, despite the many broad and easy ways the world suggests. The worldly alternatives do not give lasting solution, instead the end up creating more confusion and they lead to destruction. The Christian Father who imitates Jesus closely becomes a good guardian and bread winner of his family, leading like a good shepherd on the pathway of love, peace, forgiveness, unity and progress. Such a man must avoid the distraction of the essay ways that lead to ruin, such as anger, violence, life of pleasure, laziness, prayerlessness, etc. Hence, “To whom shall we go?” echoes our rejection of the easy ways that are not of Christ, no matter how popular or alluring they may be.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

June 24, 2023.