Jesus told them a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye. A good tree does not produce decayed fruit any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit. Each tree is known by its yield. Figs are not taken from thorn bushes, nor grapes picked from brambles. A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil. Each man speaks from his heart’s abundance.”
Introductory Prayer: Once again, Lord, I come to you to pray. Even though I cannot see you, I trust that you are present, and I want very much for you to instruct me through your teachings. In the same way you demonstrate your love for me by spending this time with me, I want to express my love for you by dedicating this time to you with a spirit of faith, confidence and attention. Here I am, Lord, to listen to you and respond with love.
Petition: Lord, help me to see where I need to work on conversion of life.
The Need for Formation: If I want to guide someone to Christ, it is not enough simply to proclaim myself a guide or even to be called by Christ to be a guide. If I cannot see clearly the path that must be followed, I will simply be a blind person leading a blind person, and we will both fall into a pit. There is no doubt that Christ is calling me to help him bring others to salvation. I must strive to be like him, the Master and teacher; I must learn from him the art of saving souls. I must be humble, realizing that there is always something more I can learn from him. I can always grow in my clarity of vision; my life can always be more Christ-like.
Formation Begins with Self-Examination: If I am to form myself to become a true disciple of Christ and help him save souls, I must begin with self-examination. Before I can help others to grow in holiness, I must myself grow in holiness. Before I grow in holiness, I must be able to recognize the obstacles that are getting in the way. Perhaps I do not even realize that there are obstacles because they are so much a part of my life. I carry around a wooden beam in my eye and think it is the most normal thing. Do I really know myself with all of my defects, my temperament, my strengths and weaknesses? Have I made a serious self-examination?
Take Action: Once I know myself and know where my defects are, I must not stop there. I must remove the wooden plank from my eye. Knowing myself gives me a certain satisfaction. I know where I stand; I know my weaknesses; I know what I need to work on and change. I know the steps I must take, and my life is not foreign to me. There is a certain satisfaction in that self-knowledge and a temptation to think, “Now that I know what I must do, I will take it easy––no hurry to start working.” Little good will my self-knowledge be if I do not start working to remove that plank, to correct my errors. There are many souls out there with a splinter in their eye waiting for someone to come and help them take it out. If I do not get the plank out of my own eye, who will come to help them?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, even if I do not see the plank in my eye, you do. You see the truth about my life with incredible clarity. You know exactly what I must do, what is the next step. Help me to follow the path to holiness diligently by following in your footsteps.
Resolution: I will make a special effort to examine my conscience at the end of the day.
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