Practice what you preach

Sisters and brothers in Christ, this verse in today's (9/9) first reading helps us to understand Jesus' parable in the Gospel: "I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." Here, Saint Paul is essentially telling us to "practice what we preach."

Jesus teaches us the same in his parable, saying: "Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye." In other words, if we do not live by the words that we preach to others, then we should be disqualified because, before we can correct another out of love, we first have to look at ourselves in the mirror and make sure we are not living a life goes against what we preach.

Another way to look at this is, I notice with my nieces and nephews that they do what I do and, if I tell them to do something, but I do not do it myself, they are quick to call me out on it. Kids are smart and very observant. Therefore, if I do not want them to use bad words, then I should not use bad words myself, especially around them.

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Gospel of the Day

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.”