From Psalm 119, verses 13- 14 (the psalm for the 26th
Sunday in Ordinary Time):
But who can detect all his errors?
from hidden faults acquit me.
From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
The second line of these verses might cause us to wonder:
“So what is this? I try so hard to be good, at least some of the time, and you
tell me that there are still hidden faults?”
And the answer is, “Yes.” Sometimes it takes years and
years of ruthless honesty and self-examination to become aware of faults and
weaknesses of character that it seems everyone else already knows about. Think
of it yourself: haven’t you become an expert about the faults of certain people
in your life, or a certain group, or those who hold a certain view of things,
but yet are very willing to give yourself the benefit of a doubt when it comes
to your possible peccadillos?
We all have, and that is why Jesus warns us to make sure
we tend to the beam in our own eyes before taking care of the speck in someone
else’s eye. Yes indeed, Lord, from presumption restrain your servant. Don’t let
my arrogance and my self-righteous cloud my vision and poison my spirit.
Restrain me, O Lord, if I tend sometimes to be like the Pharisees.
I love the verse, “From hidden faults acquit me.” I use
it as a constant reminder not to take myself too seriously. I return to it when
I catch myself casting a suspicious eye on others. Sometimes I can’t even see
my own faults, so how dare I presume to be knowledgeable about the condition of
another’s soul?
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