Feb. 27th - 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Sir 27:4-7; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45)

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us what can go wrong when we try to correct others. The first example of a blind person guiding another blind person tells us that one who is blind to the truth cannot guide others to the truth. The second example of the disciple and the teacher tells us that someone who does not know the truth cannot teach the truth to others. The third example of attending to the splinter in a brother's eye tells us that one cannot effectively correct the faults of others if he relies just on his own flawed character. He must correct his own more serious flaws before trying to correct others of their minor flaws.

Jesus suggests in these teachings that we should focus more on correcting our own faults and only with great care should we proceed to find fault with others. This requires humility. One place where a lot of fault-finding occurs today is on social media. This leads of feelings of hate, even among families or friends. Today's Gospel calls us to purify our hearts so that our attitude toward those people is the same attitude as the one we have toward those who love us.

• How often have we jumped to conclusions and judgments about others without having all of the information? What was the result?
• How can we become more open to a continual purification of our hearts?

Today's reading from Sirach is also about detecting faults. The reading includes this thought: “The fruit tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind.”

• Have you ever been startled by the words your young children have used in the past and wondered where in the world had they heard such talk?
• Do you have a clean manner of speaking in public and something a little more saucy in private? How might any discrepancy between your public speech and your private speech reflect on you and your efforts to evangelize for Christ?