First, remove the beam

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

CHRIST has a way of using simple images to reveal profound truths. In Luke 6:39–42, he presents a striking scene: a man trying to remove a speck from another’s eye while carrying a beam in his own. The image is almost humorous, but its lesson is deadly serious.

Before correcting others, we must first correct ourselves.

That sounds easy, yet it is one of the hardest lessons to live. We are quick to notice the faults of others but slow to recognize our own. We readily point out another’s impatience, pride, or dishonesty while excusing our own shortcomings.

Christ calls this hypocrisy.

He is not telling us to ignore the faults of others. Fraternal correction is an act of charity. If we truly love someone, we cannot remain indifferent when that person is drifting away from God. But correction becomes fruitful only when it springs from humility, not superiority; from love, not irritation; from genuine concern, not self-righteousness.

That is why self-examination always comes first.

The Christian life is not simply about behaving well. It is about continual conversion. Every day offers a fresh opportunity to become more like Christ. Every success, failure, encounter, or difficulty can either draw us closer to him or expose areas where we still need to grow.

The first battle is not around us but within us.

Before trying to change the world, we have to allow God to change us. Before complaining about society’s problems, we should ask whether we are contributing to the solution by living the Gospel faithfully. Personal holiness is the strongest foundation for authentic renewal.

This requires humility — the virtue that enables us to see ourselves truthfully before God. Humility reminds us that every blessing comes from him and that without his grace, we can easily fall into the very sins we criticize in others.

That awareness should make us compassionate rather than judgmental.

We all struggle with weakness. The difference is that some acknowledge their need for God’s mercy while others remain blind to it. Spiritual blindness is precisely what Christ warns against. “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” If we ourselves are not striving to follow Christ, how can we hope to lead others?

The answer is constant conversion.

We need a daily examination of conscience, sincere prayer, and frequent reception of the sacraments. These help us recognize the “beam” in our own lives and allow God’s grace to remove it little by little. As our hearts become purified, we begin to see others with greater patience, understanding, and charity.

Only then can our correction become credible.

People are influenced less by criticism than by example. They respond more readily to humility than to harsh words, more to kindness than to condemnation. A life quietly transformed by God’s grace speaks louder than the finest arguments.

That is what Christ expects of his disciples. He wants us not merely to identify what is wrong but to become living witnesses of what is right. The world has no shortage of critics. What it urgently needs are men and women whose lives reflect Christ.

When we allow the Lord to remove the beam from our own eyes, we become instruments of healing rather than judgment. We stop tearing others down and begin lifting them up. In the end, authentic Christian charity always begins with our own conversion. Only then can we truly help others grow in holiness and lead them, together with ourselves, ever closer to Christ.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com