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Gospel: Luke 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Growing up in the South, watermelon was always a sweet summer treat.
It’s a unique taste, almost like juicy Styrofoam that magically melts in your mouth. I remember the first time my niece tasted it. As the juice dripped down her cheeks, she stared up at us in delight!
There’s only one thing you must remember when eating watermelon: spit out the seeds. We were told as kids that if you didn’t, then a watermelon would start growing inside your stomach!
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But we all have “seeds” inside of us. Not those literal dark, grainy kernels, but things we should get rid of.
Some struggle with managing their temper. Others with jealousy; greed; selfishness; addiction; lust; or any other sin. While it’s easy to spot these dark spots – “seeds” – inside other people, it can be harder for us to acknowledge and work on getting rid of our own.
Stop judging, the Lord tells us in today’s Gospel, because to some extent, we’re all guilty; blind; in need of spiritual growth.
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Perhaps this can be our focus for today: Focusing on what is good in other people – and within ourselves – instead of what isn’t.
Much like a slice of watermelon: spit out the seeds and savor what is sweet.
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Image credits: (1) Lion’s Breath Counseling (2) Pediatric Surgical Associates (3) Pin Page