Celebración de la palabra

Friday September 13

CLEAR EYES

Introduction

Paul pours out his gratitude for what the grace and mercy of God has made him. God’s grace has perhaps not appeared to us in a way as dramatic as in Paul’s life, but, even though we have not been thrown off a horse by God’s lightning irrupting in our lives, we have very much to be thankful for, and we too are what we are by God’s love. What better way is there to express our gratitude than the eucharist?
The gospel of today has everything to do with seeing: blind people cannot show the way to others, wounded eyes distort what they see in others and cannot see their own defects. We should have a bit of “sympathetic” blindness to the faults of others. And let us look first into our own hearts; this is perhaps the way to love others a bit more.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God, you are just and holy,
and yet you are patient and tolerant with us.
We are but slow-learning students
of our one Teacher, Jesus Christ.
He saw people’s faults,
but he had come not to condemn
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.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus our hope,
to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11

R. (see 5) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Alleluia: See Jn 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 6:39-42

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."

Intercessions

– That Jesus may show the road to follow to the honest seekers of truth and goodness, that false leaders may not mislead them, we pray:
– That Jesus may show the road to follow to those who easily condemn and are reluctant to forgive and accept people, we pray:
– 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 evils we too are inclined to commit, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ let his light shine
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 around us.
Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
you let all of us here share,
with our faults and irritating habits,
in the meal of brotherhood and unity
of Jesus Christ your Son.
Help us to accept one another also in everyday life
and to cover each other’s shortcomings
with the mantle of love.
May we overcome evil with good
and bring your peace on this earth,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Eyes that do not look for the evil in others are like the eyes of God. He is not a policeman out to catch us when we do wrong. He forgives, he heals. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Moral values have become an important feature of the American political scene in recent years. Some of it has come from die conservative right wing and some of it with a general dissatisfaction with the lack of concern for traditional values in modem Western life. Thus in this modem secular society, one candidate for public office does not hesitate to conclude a campaign speech with the request, “Please pray for me.” Another distributes a card with his picture on one side and the Ten Commandments on the other.
Our Gospel today has something to say to politicians or anyone responsible for moral leadership. One must make sure his or her plate is clean before exhorting others to finish their meals. We have had all too many examples of people in public life, as well as church life, who were anxious to remove the splinter from their neighbor’s eye while neglecting the wooden beam in their own. This was as true of some of the religious leaders in Jesus’ time as it is today. In our very public times, it is very difficult to keep skeletons hidden in the closet.
Paul’s letter to Timothy today finds the aposde admitting his past sinfulness—blasphemy, persecution, arrogance. But the grace of God was received in abundance and brought about a complete change of life. We share that same faith and love in Christ Jesus, and our lives are to reflect it.
Before correcting others, we always profit by some soul searching to see if our own lives are in order.

Points to Ponder

Importance of the examination of conscience
Value of fraternal correction
Honesty in admitting past guilt.