Celebración de la palabra

Sunday March 3, 2019

The Splinter in Your Eye

Greeting (See Second Reading)

Let us thank God
for giving the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Risen Lord Jesus be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction

Why is it that practically all of us notice the defects and failures of others, yet we are blind to our own shortcomings? Often we blame in others what we overlook in ourselves. Let us look today at Jesus here among us. Yes, he came to save people from their sins, yet he did not judge and condemn people but attracted them by his open attitude of friendship, appreciation of the good in them and by giving them new chances in life. There is much to learn from him. Let us ask him for his goodness of heart.

Penitential Act

Let us ask the Lord not to condemn us
in the same way as we judge others,
but to forgive us and to give us goodness of heart.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you know where you lead us
and we are ready to follow you
on the road of life and forgiveness.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, you accept people the way they are,
so that you can convert and save them:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, in the goodness of your heart
you brought forgiveness where there was hatred,
joy where there was sadness:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Lord, we thank you for the healing
you bring us by your forgiving love.
Make us patient like you
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that Christ
may always be our light and guide
(PAUSE)
Lord, loving Father,
you have given us no blind guide to lead us
but our one Teacher Jesus Christ,
whose slow-learning disciples we are.
He had not come to condemn us
but to forgive and save.
Give us clear eyes to look
into our own hearts and consciences,
but dim them with the shades of love
when we see the faults of those around us.
And may we inspire others by our Christ-like living.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

First Reading: A Tree Is Known by Its Fruits

A person reveals his or her religious quality by the manner of talking.

Reading 1: Sir 27:4-7

When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear;
so do one's faults when one speaks.
As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace,
so in tribulation is the test of the just.
The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had;
so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind.
Praise no one before he speaks,
for it is then that people are tested.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R. (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.


Second Reading: Death, You Are Defeated!
In Christ, death and sin have been defeated. If we follow him, we will always overcome.
Reading 2: 1 Cor 15:54-58
Brothers and sisters:
When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility
and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,
then the word that is written shall come about:
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters,
be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Alleluia: Phil 2:15d, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Our Life Should Not Discredit the Gospel

We should not follow guides who do not know where they are going. And we should let our own Christ-like life inspire others.
Gospel: Lk 6:39-45
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.

"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."

Intercessions

By his life and death and message Jesus taught us the forgiving mercy of God, which seeks to save, not to condemn. May we follow his example and pray to him: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
– That Jesus may show the Church the road to follow in the often-difficult circumstances of our day, a road to forgiveness and love, and of justice and truth, let us pray: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
– That Jesus may show the road to follow to the honest seekers of truth and goodness, that they may not be misled by false leaders, let us pray: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
– That Jesus may show us the road to follow to those who in the goodness of their heart are willing to serve the cause of peace and friendship, let us pray: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
– That Jesus may show the road to follow to those who easily condemn and are reluctant to forgive and accept people, let us pray: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
– That Jesus may show us the road to follow, that we may learn to see the evil that is in us and no longer condemn others for the wrongs we too are inclined to commit, let us pray: R/ Lord, guide us on the road to life.
Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of all the spiritually blind who have lost their way in life. By your love and strength lead us all to the Father who loves everyone. Be our teacher now and for ever. R/ Amen.


Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus brought light in our darkness:
he opened the eyes of the blind.
Give us your Son here in this eucharist
that he may open our eyes
to your forgiving love
and to your goodness present in people.
Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With Jesus we thank the Father for his goodness: through Jesus, he has given us light and life, a goal to work for, a road to follow. It is a joy for us to express our gratitude.
Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer
Let now well up from the goodness of our heart
the prayer which Jesus himself taught us: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us
Set us free Lord, from all evil,
above all from the evil of sin.
Help us to see the beam in our own eyes
and make us mild and understanding toward others.
Lead us forward together in joyful hope
toward the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God
who has taken away the death of sin
and leads us to the resurrection.
Happy are we that he gives us
the food and drink of life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you have let all of us here share,
with our faults and irritating habits,
in the meal of friendship and unity
of Jesus Christ your Son.
Make us accept one another
also in everyday life
and cover each other’s shortcomings
with the mantle of love.
May we overcome evil with good
and bring your peace to this earth.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

St Paul has warned us today
never to admit defeat in doing good,
never to give up following Jesus.
Would that not apply also to stop looking
for faults in others,
while forgetting gladly our own mistakes and failures?
Yes, let us be mild to one another,
as God has been good and mild to us,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go with joy and thanks,
for God has been good to all of us. R/ Thanks be to God.

Commentary

First Jesus stressed the centrality of the forgiveness of God that leads us to be forgiven towards all. Jesus’ next teaching follows logically: if the love of God dwells in us we are inclined to be kinder in our judgments toward our fellow human beings. New disciples need to hear this since they are liable to be very judgmental and “holier-than-thou.” Jesus wisely warned his new followers to remember than God alone is the ultimate judge.
This passage has sometimes been misinterpreted to say that Christians should not judge at all. That is incorrect. The Greek term here is katadikazo, a very strong word that means to condemn or denounce someone. It is like the parent who flies into a rage when he finds a child playing in the mud in its new shoes. What Jesus said meant: “do not intemperately condemn each other! Try to be more lenient in your judgments! After all, you yourself are human too!” Observe carefully how Jesus expressed himself at this point in his talk. These examples are curiously exaggerated; consequently, we may be sure that Jesus’ words were intended to be comical examples, themselves gentle reminders rather than harsh demands.
At the same time Christ calls pastors, priests, and lay people to exercise judgment concerning the world we live in. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). Christians must constantly be on guard regarding what is happening in the cities where they live, in the nation, and in the world. Christians do not focus merely on “religious” matters. The Church must also exercise judgment in cases of misconduct writhing the Church (cf. 1 Cor 6:1-11; Matt 18:15-20). Actions count, not just words (Lk 6:43-49).
Finally, Jesus wants his new disciples that they must show by their actions that they really are his followers in deed, not just in word. Such was the sermon Jesus spoke to his new disciples and the new circle of the twelve apostles. He touched on the most important beginning elements of our faith. In later speeches and sermons in Luke Jesus will go into deeper matters.