Francis warns that we tend to attempt to defend ourselves by blaming others.Among the reflections Pope Francis offered for the Gospel reading of November 15 was a consideration on how we deal with the recognition of our mistakes.
The pope noted how the person in Jesus’ parable who received just one talent justified his laziness by casting blame on the master.
“This is an attitude that we have too: we defend ourselves, many times, by accusing others. But they are not at fault: the fault is ours; the flaw is ours,” the Holy Father warned.
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This is what he said:
The third, however, realizing he is at fault, immediately begins to justify himself, saying: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours” (vv. 24-25). He defends his laziness by accusing his master of being “hard”.
This is an attitude that we have too: we defend ourselves, many times, by accusing others. But they are not at fault: the fault is ours; the flaw is ours. And this servant accuses others, he accuses the master in order to justify himself. We too, many times, do the same.
So the master rebukes him: he calls the servant “wicked and slothful” (v. 26); he has the talent taken from him and has him cast out of his house.
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