Amidst all the talk of the blind leading the blind, hypocrites, wooden beams, and splinters, there is a line of today’s Gospel (Luke 6:39-42) I never noticed:
“No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
When fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. How amazing! We are the disciples and He is the Teacher, and if you’re anything like me, we have some serious training to do.
At the heart of today’s parable is a call to personal holiness. It’s a call that requires effort on my part, a sort of spiritual training, if you will. First and foremost I need to focus on building up my own spiritual muscles and flexibility. If I am not disciplined in my exercises—reading the Word, receiving the Sacraments frequently, spending time in prayer to grow in relationship with the Lord—my heart and soul will grow weak. I will not have the strength or stamina to run the race.
Just as it can be a challenge to find the motivation to exercise, so, too, it is in the spiritual life. It is so much easier to look around at others—a friend or family member, a spouse, someone we follow on social media—and judge what we perceive their level of spiritual fitness to be, to note their flaws and failings.
But Jesus reminds us to look interiorly. To look at our own hearts and souls and see where we need to put in the work.
Thankfully, we have the ultimate spiritual trainer in Jesus. Ask Him to show you what elements of your spiritual life need toning. You can trust He will always and only encourage you towards our eternal goal.
Let's meditate on how we can lean into Our Heavenly Mother to help us with our spiritual training through a consecration to Him through Her.
Elise Howe is a wife, mother, vocal artist, teacher, and writer. A lover of authentic beauty, Elise is most joyful when creating with the inspiration of the Divine Artist. A born-and-raised Midwestern gal, she happily resides in Michigan after several years "living the dream" in New York City. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. Find out more about her here.
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