I RECEIVED MERCY…

1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service,
13 though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Luke 6:39-42

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.
41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.  
MEDITATION

St PAULS EPISTLE to Timothy is premised on reports that some teachers have reverted to teaching and applying the mosaic law which was laid down for the ungodly sinners and not for the just ones who are faithfully in communion with God.Paul recognize his former ignorant understanding when he blindly percecuted the people of the way and by implication, he percecuted Christ.

Paul momentarily reflect on his blind dark sinful history prior to his conversion,with a sense of thankfulness that God had judged him with grace and mercy and given him an opportunity to so-to-speak redeem himself, by being an appointed apostle!

THE GOSPEL READING deals with an area of personal discernment which for the most part is absent in all of us. Conversely, we seem to find it very opportunistic and even satisfying to adjudicate the way others conduct their lives.To be sure, we fail and fall time and again which should cause us to pause and reflect upon our messy moral compass before we doublespeak. This does not suppose that we remain silent in the face of immoral behavior, but instead it calls us to be charitable in our admonision by recognizing our own fault lines.

Our Lord seeks to teach us to recognize our own broken journey of faith by constant reexamination of our conscience through personal introspection. We are sensitized to not be ‘judgmental’ toward the ignorant in the sense of condemning others to hell, which is certainly not our judicial or doctrinal area of competence or authority! Our lives aught to be exemplary as we charitable with mercy and grace council those who are ignorant and in darkness which indirectly should remind us of our personal ongoing search for truth and holiness.

LET US PRAY: Psalms 16:1-2,5,7-8,11

Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee.” 5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot. 7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Author. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast.