13-09-24 Cermin Jiwa: Melihat Diri dalam Refleksi Orang Lain

Friday 23rd week in ordinary time "Lk 6:39-42" He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ...Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. How easily we see defects in others! How difficult it is to see our own mistakes! How ready we are to correct others and help them to improve! How slow we are to accept our own failures and amend them! We are sometimes like the boy who failed his maths exam. He gave the report to his dad who obviously wasn't happy at all: "This can’t be: it's unacceptable!" the dad said, "It deserves severe punishment!" "You are quite right, dad," replied the boy, "it DOES deserve SEVERE PUNISHMENT! I couldn't agree more. And... I know where the teacher lives!" Some people don't know themselves or their defects but are, nevertheless, always ready to correct others about anything. They are 'professional critics' who always analyse everyone except themselves. The story is told of a nit–picking arts professor who was guiding his students around an art gallery. He was criticising all the portraits they were finding: the style was poor, the model inappropriate, the colours messed up... The man stopped in front of a full-length portrait of an old man. He smiled in disdain and started criticising it: "What a ridiculous lanky fellow! Look at the disproportion of the big nose and ears in a small head; do you see the slovenly clothes and lack of taste..." Someone interrupted him, "Professor! This is not a portrait, sir... it's a mirror!" St Augustine said that we often see in others the reflection of our own defects. We need to examine ourselves to spot our faults and try to correct them. Once we strive to correct our own mistakes we won't get annoyed with the shortcomings of others and we will be able to help them improve... Mary, my Mother, help me to see those aspects that God wants me to change and obtain for me from Heaven the grace I need to change them.