Wednesday the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
This morning Jesus says to his disciples, “Behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last”.
In any community, there will always be some whom people criticize now for one reason or another, and they will often turn out to be first, whereas some who are now doing the criticizing will turn out to be last. It all depends on where you direct your criticism.
The desert Fathers tell the story of the time they held a meeting about a brother who had sinned. The Fathers spoke, but Abba Pior kept silence. Eventually, he got up and went out; he took a sack, filled it with sand, and carried it on his shoulder. He put a little sand also into a small bag which he carried in front of him. When the Fathers asked him what this meant, he said:
“In this sack which contains much sand, are my sins which are many; I have put them behind me so as not to be troubled about them and so as not to weep; and see, here are the little sins of my brother which are in front of me and I spend my time judging them. This is not right: I should instead be carrying my sins in front of me and concern myself with them, begging God to forgive me for them”.
The Fathers stood up and said, “Truly, this is the way of salvation”.
Try your best to enter by this narrow way. Whether few or many are saved is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life – to God! – is vigorous and requires your total attention.
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