Homily for Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus uses a humorous image of someone with a wooden beam in their eye struggling to take a splinter out of someone else’s eye. Jesus is calling attention to the inclination many have of being more aware of the faults and foibles of others than their own. However, being aware of our own faults keeps us humble.

Knowing ourselves, with all of our faults, and loving ourselves, with all of our faults, helps us to empathize with the faults and failings of others. When we know our limits and weaknesses, we can work on them. Essentially, Jesus is telling us that addressing our own faults should take precedence over addressing the faults of others.

Jesus knew that correcting our own faults is more difficult than correcting the faults of others. He challenges us to look to ourselves first before we look to others. When we look at ourselves, though, we should do so first with our eyes on the LORD. We look to the LORD before we look to ourselves, just as we look to ourselves before we look to others. The knowledge of God’s love for us liberates us to look at ourselves without apprehension, and the Spirit of God’s love in our hearts enables us to grow into His likeness more fully.+