Often times it is more helpful when we understand the how’s and why’s of a particular situation. Watch as Msgr. Don explains how reflection can help enrich the life that surrounds us all.

Good morning. I am going to talk to you about something that is core to the message of Jesus. And I'm going to use the word awareness, to be aware. There's a set of gospels that we've all familiar with, a set of gospels that we use during the season of Lent. In one of the readings there, it talks about a man born blind, you know? And there's something so interesting in that whole story. If you pay attention to it, you see a description of sin in a way that you wouldn't expect it to be there. The most frightening thing that Jesus reveals in that story about the man born blind is the blindness of the leaders of the temple is a blindness that they would not look at. They wouldn't look at it. Jesus would say to them, “If you would admit that you don't see, then you wouldn't be sinners. But you say, you see, when you don't. And that's your sin.” To say you're aware of something and you're not to say you're reflecting on your life and wanting to see it as it is and you don't do the work that's the major sin that God is worried about. So if God sees that as the sin, then what does that invite us to do? This is the word that's so important, if you're going to do the work of becoming aware, there's one key thing you have to add to your way of life. Reflection. 

Reflection, looking in the mirror, seeing what's really there, looking at a situation that you went through that was painful or difficult, or maybe it was something done to you or you did to somebody else and you say, You know, I hate that, or I don't like that, or I'm upset about that. But then say, “Wait, wait, wait, why did it happen? Why is it upsetting?” Why is it that you can't seemingly understand fully what is going on and then you have to sit with it. Your reflection is not figuring it out. That's a mistake. Reflection is pausing enough to look at it as objectively as you can and wait for some insight to come that you didn't see. It could be this much. It could be that much. But it's always moving in the direction of being more aware. 

If you've ever had a habit. I've done something in my life that I was doing and I didn't believe I did it. And they said, “You know, you keep repeating things. You want to make a statement. You say ‘let's go, let's go,’ or ‘ I like that. I like that.’” And they say, “You always say it twice.” I said, “No, I don't. Of course I don’t.” I had to sit back and reflect. And by darn, I did it all the time. You know what was so interesting. No effort in stopping it. It just went away because I became aware. I did my reflection homework.

It's a great tool. You know, who's going to appreciate it the most are the people you live with. Because often you're not even aware of the little things you do. This might be something that they're trying to say to you like, “Stop that.” Maybe they've mentioned it, but you don't look at it. But reflection, that's the key. Sit back, take a little time every day. Particularly over a situation that was difficult. Ask the hard questions: What was I doing? Why was I doing it? What was the result? And it produces abundance.

Have a good day.

Reflections Archives