1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-27 / Luke 6:39-42
Living in HDB flats (public housing) has its conveniences as well as its irritations.
One irritation, at least on the ears, is when someone decides to start practising the piano, or the trumpet, or sings along with the karaoke.
Somehow the Do-Re-Me of the music scales, or an out-of-tune melody, or that annoying voice of the karaoke singing, pervades and invades our consciousness and subconsciousness.
At times, we wish we could be deaf for just that particular period of time.
But the intrusion on our ears should also open our eyes to see that practice and training are necessary disciplines for any kind of skill.
Even St. Paul noted in the 1st reading that athletes go into strict training just to win a prize that will eventually wither away.
One spiritual exercise that we ought to do at least twice a day is the examination of our conscience.
We can do it once in the middle of the day and another before we end the day.
As we give thanks to God for His blessings, we also ask God for the grace to see the planks in our own eyes that obstruct us from seeing the goodness of the people around us, and the lessons of love that life is teaching us.
So the next time we hear someone plonking away at the piano, or blaring away with the trumpet, or singing out of tune, let us see the perseverance and persistence of that person.
May that also help to bring out the patience and understanding in ourselves.