“Improving the quality of our lives, and our credibility in being a leader, with the Grace of God and our sincere cooperation with the Lord!”

(Based on Sir 27:4-7, 1 Cor 15:54-58 and Lk 6:39-45 – 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C)

In a particular town, there lived a cobbler, who was unable to make a living by his trade.

Driven to despair by his poverty, he accommodated himself in another far-away town and began to practise medicine.

He sold a drug which he claimed to be an antidote for all sorts of poisons.

Towards this end, he also created a great popularity campaign through advertisements and boastful proclamations.

Unfortunately, in a short period, the cobbler himself happened to fall sick to a serious illness.

The ruler of the town sought this as a nice chance to test his medicine’s capability and the man’s genuineness.

For this, the ruler called for a cup, and filling it with water, pretended to mix poison with the cobbler’s antidote…
… commanding him to drink, with a promise of a handsome reward.

The sick cobbler, overcome with much fear and trembling, confessed that he had no knowledge of medicine!

The ruler then called the people of the town and addressed them:

“Oh, how foolish are you! You have not hesitated to entrust your heads to a man…
… whom no one could employ even to make shoes for their feet!”

Often, perhaps, it so happens that we too…
… get fooled in life
… get led by incapable people
… get ourselves to be a slave to unbecoming things

We become blind and perhaps, we also lead others to stumble!

Our Blessed Lord in today’s Gospel invites us to a deep examination of the quality of our lives and our credibility in being a leader

Jesus says, “Can a blind man lead a blind person? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Lk 6: 39)

This verse is a reference to two sets of people:

One, the guide
Second, the one who is led.

We could find ourselves in either of these categories or sometimes even both.

We could be a guide or one who is guided or both – a guide as well as one who is guided.

In any of the cases, one needs to examine one’s quality of life.

Am I shrouded in the darkness of being in ignorance and apathy…
… disinterested to learn and unwilling to know more…?
… causing others to be misled and creating confusions and misunderstandings…?

Am I a person who is sunk into the dark abyss of being prejudiced and unforgiving….
… unwilling to be open to the truth and adamant in considering even to review or re-examine my viewpoints…?
… blinded to accept differences and failing to cherish diversity and thus constantly being at loggerheads with others…?

Am I veiled continuously under the dark shades of being unjustly critical and judgmental…
… full of pride and being unable to let go of my selfish interests and self-centred wants…?
… enamoured by pleasure in looking for opportunities and means to put down others or find faults with others…?

Our Blessed Lord invites us to make an honest review of our lives and to be always willing to ring in positive transformations.

The book of Sirach reminds us: “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks.

As the test of what the potter moulds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just.” (Sir 27:4-5)

The level of honesty of our heart is reflected by our words and life

We need to nurture purity and holiness in our heart!

This Sunday is an invitation to all of us, to put into the practise the beautiful saying:

If you use the head with which you reprove others to reprove yourself…
… there will be fewer faults
If you use the heart with which you forgive yourself to forgive others…
… we will build better and beautiful relationships

Let us improve the quality of our lives, and our credibility in being a leader…
… with the Grace of God and our sincere cooperation with the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God…

… and calls on the Saviour’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. >> The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties. (CCC # 2157)