Planks And Planes | September 11, 2015

 September 11, 2015

Fourteen years ago today, an evil heinous act of hate was orchestrated against our country on our own turf. We all remember exactly where we were when we found out about this terrible string of events and time stood still for many hours to follow as we were glued to our televisions and telephones waiting for more news. We watched the hideous scene over and over again. We saw terrified Americans running and fighting for their lives. We witnessed death and destruction and we mourned together, as one nation under God, the loss of lives caused by such a violent and catastrophic crime. I believe it is no accident that today’s gospel falls on this anniversary and with the year of mercy upon us. It is a difficult gospel to swallow in the shadow of 9/11 isn’t it? But, I feel like we need to take a look at it in the light of Christ so that we will not become the blind leading the blind.

Following Jesus is not always a walk in the park and this gospel is where the rubber meets the road. He starts off by asking, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” Perhaps he looked right at the Pharisees when he said this or perhaps he is looking right at me, I’m not sure. But Jesus very clearly tells us in the next sentence that we need to be cautious with whom we choose to learn because, “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” I don’t know about you, but I want my teacher to be Christ so that when I am fully trained, I will be like him. However, that means that especially on days like today, I need to do a personal inventory of the planks in my own eye before I can even begin to see other people’s planks. As long as I have my own sin clouding my vision, I will not be able to see things clearly enough to be able to help others clean up their lives. I need to be actively addressing my own sin and failures before I can teach others to do the same. It is difficult for sure, but it has to be this way, Jesus says so.

I know this example has been overused, however, it makes total sense when on an airplane the safety speech says that we must first put the oxygen mask over our own face before we can help others. When Mother Teresa first started serving the poor on the streets of Calcutta, she was giving her own lunch away to the hungry everyday until one day she collapsed because she had gone without eating. She realized that the only way she could serve others was to first make sure that she was in good and proper health both physically and spiritually. So the Sisters of Charity spend at least one hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament everyday and they make sure that they are fed and physically well before even going out into the streets. If we are well, then those that we serve have a better chance of becoming well because they will learn from us. The Bible shows us very clearly how sin trickles down through generations and as it drips it grows stronger and develops deeper roots. If we make the effort to examine our lives on a daily basis, checking for planks, and getting rid of them regularly, we have one more tool in our hands to become fully trained as another Christ in the world.

I know today’s reflection is more sobering than I normally write and it is minus a funny and whimsical anecdote, but I think the sentiment of 9/11 calls for us to sober up and to ask ourselves the hard questions that Jesus does in the gospel, “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.” You see it’s not that we are not called to remove the junk in our brother’s eyes, but we MUST first do the same to ourselves, and that is the hard part because it requires that we look at ourselves in a mirror. Would the person looking back at you be someone that others would want to be like? If I’m being honest…most days I think so, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty and I need to admit that I am a hypocrite sometimes, I think I need some work. I need to do some honest inventory of my own transgressions in broken relationships, and I need to come clean before I can expect any sort of reconciliation. That sucks, but walking around with a plank in my eye sucks even more.

Clear vision is something that I think we might take for granted. St. Paul knows something about that, doesn't he? He suffered from poor physical vision after his conversion but he was given clear spiritual vision as well. Paul admits to his own hypocrisy in the first reading and he testifies that only by the grace of God, were the eyes of his heart opened to really see. Jesus wants us to see clearly and he wants us to be real. So on this day when we meditate on planks and planes, let us not forget that the only way to see is to clear out the debris in our lives, and to be fully trained by our teacher Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves. It’s good to sober up every now and then. In this year of mercy, we will be challenged to step outside ourselves to do what is right. Are you ready for this challenge?  

Listen to this: https://youtu.be/FscIgtDJFXg

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.”