Homily for Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus presents a humorous image of someone with a wooden beam in their eye struggling to remove a splinter from someone else's eye. This illustrates a common tendency to be more aware of the faults and shortcomings of others than our own. However, acknowledging our own faults keeps us humble.

When we understand and accept ourselves, including our imperfections, it helps us empathize with the faults and failings of others. Recognizing our limits and weaknesses allows us to work on them. Essentially, Jesus is telling us that we should prioritize addressing our own faults over focusing on the faults of others.

He recognized that correcting our own shortcomings is often more challenging than correcting those of others. He challenges us to examine ourselves first before judging others. Importantly, when we do this self-reflection, we should first turn our gaze to the Lord. We look to Him before we examine ourselves, just as we evaluate ourselves before we assess others. Understanding God's love for us frees us to examine ourselves without fear, and the presence of His love in our hearts empowers us to grow closer to Him.