The Holy Martyr Charitina
Philippians 2:16-23; Luke 6:37-45
Read Luke 6:37-45
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”
I think a big step in the spiritual life is when we finally realise we are “blind.” Each of us needs help to mature spiritually. We need to be guided by others who have already removed the “log” out of their own eye who can help us to remove whatever we have in our own eye. When our own eye is clear, we’ll eventually be in a place where we can properly assist someone else who is struggling.
We live in a world that loves to celebrate individuality and self-sufficiency. In the spiritual life, we need to fight against the tendency to think the individual is entirely capable by him or herself. We need others to help us. In the monastic tradition, it is especially clear how less experienced monks and nuns seek spiritual guidance from those who are more experienced. All of us should follow their example and not be too prideful to seek assistance.
We might have a good intention to help others, but if we ourselves are not yet healed, then we can hypocritically be like the blind leading the blind. In the first place, we always need to seek our own healing without feeling compelled to “fix” everybody else around us. We are not in control of other people’s actions or behaviour; we only have control over ourselves. Let us pray for God to bring us healing and spiritual growth so that we can effectively bring healing to others, bearing good fruit with our lives.