READINGS FOR THE EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY 27TH FEBRUARY, 2022.
First Reading Ecclesiasticus 27:4-7
Psalm: 91
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
LOOKING AT OURSELVES MORE DEEPLY
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I welcome you all to the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Today, we celebrate the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Lent.
Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, we begin 40 days journey with Jesus in the desert. The season of Lent offers us an opportunity to reflect on the mysteries of our faith. It invites us to join Jesus Christ on his journey in the desert, to Galilee, to accompany him to Calvary and to share in his resurrection.
Looking at ourselves more deeply during this faith journey of Lent, we cannot but recognise the “heart as the center or “core” of our being, from which prayer and moral actions originate.” Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8)
Our First Reading today says: “Do not praise a man before he has spoken, since this is the test of men.” (Ecclesiasticus 27:5-8). How we speak about others reveal the heart of the speakers. Gossiping, passing rash, thoughtless, pain-inflicting judgments on others reveal the damaging heart of a speaker. Sometimes this attitude destroys the good reputation of others.
Jesus uses the heart more regularly to explain spiritual truths. Jesus said: “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite!” (Luke 6:39-45).
Hypocrisy is described as “a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles that one does not really possess”. In a general sense, hypocrisy may involve dissimulation or a sham. Our world today is filled hypocrites. We have many people today who say terrible things to one another in order to hurt them. What we say against each other betray what we feel in our hearts.
Jesus warns us about the dangers of hypocrisy. He calls us to remove the logs from our own eyes so that we can see more clearly. Jesus urges us to remove the planks from our own eyes first. We bear fruits according to who we are. Jesus says: “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” (Luke 6:39-45).
As we begin Lent on Wednesday, we are invited to fill our hearts with truth, love, warmth, trust, availability to renew and deepen our lifelong commitment to journeying together with each other and with our Saviour Jesus Christ. This will help us to experience healing, inner peace, joy, forgiveness and love in our hearts and in our relationships with one another.
May God heal us and restore us to peace, hope and joy now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM