Growing in the Faith

03-03-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

As we get set this week to commence the discipline of LENT, l feel it's important we ask ourselves how we have been growing in the faith, and we do this by checking whether Jesus’ teaching is taking root in our hearts. A sincere self-examination of oneself l believe will help one to have a fruitful Lenten season. We always set aside this season to declare spiritual war against all our sinful inclinations. Today's readings have given us a lot to think and pray about.

The readings focus more on the life of a believer being steadfast in the faith. St Paul encourages us to “be steadfast, immovable .. knowing that our labor is not in vain.” We need to be like this if we are in any way to lead others towards Jesus and help them to grow spiritually, just as we are hoping to grow ourselves. But however firm we may be in the faith, we are warned against letting a judgmental attitude to root in us. Jesus put this warning in a dramatic symbol: Don’t try to remove the speck of dust from another’s eye until you have removed the log from your own eye!

Jesus calls hypocrites, those who notice a tiny sprinter in others but are blind to the plank in them. They are unaware of their shortcomings while they decry the faults of others. These people are often negative and hostile. They have the habit of focusing on the bad side of everything especially the bad side of people. They are pruned to criticize and find fault. If this describes what you are battling with right now then you need to ponder on this: our call to New life in the Risen Christ is a call to Integrity, positive judgment of others and knowing how to mind your tongue.

Think of INTEGRITY as a virtue! That’s one of the qualities we should want to carry with us always in this life; it’s surely one of the criteria on which we shall be judged. Integrity means wholeness, being complete and not divided in any way – physically, spiritually, or aesthetically. It means that you have every quality that you should have and nothing in the wrong place. It means being well-rounded – that you’re as poetic as you are rational, as visionary as practical, as imaginative as realistic, as artistic as hardheaded, as magnanimous as sturdy, as some biblical commentators will put it.

Instead of criticizing others, why not care for them? If we care for them, we will listen not only to what they are saying but also to what they are trying to say with or without words. If we care for them we won’t impose our views, our plans, ideas, discipline, advice, correction, guidance, and our judgment. If we care for them, we won’t jump at every opportunity to point out their blunders to make them feel foolish. If we care for them we will show them how talented, capable, industrious, genuine, original, creative, skilled, friendly, trustworthy, resourceful they are.

Today we are taught how we must not self-righteously correct others without honestly evaluating ourselves. Let us use this Lenten Season again to build our faith to maturity so that it bears much fruits to the glory of Jesus' name.

Have a fruitful Lent!
Fr. Julius