"We think we make the picture hang straight on our wall by telling our neighbors that all his pictures are crooked.”

“It is not for me to judge another man's life. I must judge, I must choose, I must spurn, purely for myself. For myself, alone.” ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Gospel Text: (Lk 11:37-41)

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

Upon reading today’s gospel passage we may be able to see exactly where this Pharisee is blind, but what about me—and you? Where is the log in our own eye? I might compare myself to a Pharisee and come out pretty well in that exercise—but what about a comparison to Christ and the way he taught us about true discipleship?

What part of my eye is not sound and therefore obstructs my vision? What are my unexamined assumptions? How well do I follow the second part of the Greatest Commandment—to love my neighbor as myself?

In the quote below, while visiting a prison in Philadelphia on Sept 27^th, Pope Francis demonstrates very well what true inner light can look like:

“I am here as a pastor, but above all as a brother, to share your situation and make it my own,” I have come so that we can pray together and offer our God everything that causes us pain, but also everything that gives us hope, so that we can receive from him the power of the resurrection.”  Amen!