September 10, 2021
Friday of the Twenty-Third Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

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“Why you dey notice the small piece of wood wey dey your brother eye, but you no dey see the big plank wey dey your own eye?” Luke 6:41
Saint Teresa of Ávila, wey be one of the greatest spiritual writers and Doctor of the Church dem, explain for her great spiritual book “Interior Castles,” say one of the first steps for the road to holy life na to know yourself. To know yourself dey help you become humble, because to dey humble simply mean say you see yourself as you really be. When person no know imself as God mind truly see am, e dey open imself to plenty wrong judgments. One of these mistakes na say e fit easily fix im mind on wetin e see as other people sin.
The Gospel passage wey dem quote above show person wey no really know imself at all. Why? Because e “no notice the big plank of wood” for im own eye, wey mean say e no see im own sin. Because of this, Jesus explain say this person come fix im mind on the “small piece of wood” for im brother eye.
When you think about the things wey dey your mind, wetin you dey think about pass throughout the day? You dey honestly look inside yourself, to try know yourself as God know you? Or you dey spend too much time to think about other people, examine wetin dem do and judge dem? Na important question be this wey you need ask yourself and answer with honest mind.
The best way to know yourself na to keep your eyes on Jesus. When na Him you dey focus your attention on throughout the day, you no go only come know Him, but you go also come know yourself more honestly. To keep your eyes on the beauty and perfection of our Lord go do two things: e go help you know Him and know yourself as He see you. E go also help you know other people as He see dem.
How Jesus dey look at the people around you? He dey look at dem with mercy wey no dey stop. Na true say, at the end of every life, when we leave this world go the next one, each of us go face our own judgment from our Lord. But while we still dey here for earth, God dey always look at us with mercy. Because of this, mercy must become our mission every day, and we must learn to always look at everybody for our life with eyes of mercy.
Today, reflect on our Lord. Look at Him, keep your eyes on Him, try to know Him and make Him the One wey your attention dey focus on. As you dey do this, try to remove from your mind the judgments wey you don form about other people. Allow the way you dey keep your eyes on our Lord to help you no be only to see Him, but also to see other people as He see dem. Make this your habit, and you go dey move fast for the road to holy life.
My merciful Jesus, make I develop the true and humble habit of keeping my eyes on You for Your splendour and beauty. As I dey see You every day, abeg also help me see myself through Your eyes of mercy, so that I go grow more humble too. Abeg remove all judgment from my heart, so that I go dey free to know and love everybody as You know and love dem. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Main picture above: The Sermon for the Mountain by Fra Angelico, through Wikimedia Commons
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Catholic Reflections for Evri Day
Ordinary Time: September 1–November 27, 2021
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