Jn 16:23b-28
Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. So far you have not asked for anything in my name; ask, and receive, that your joy may be full.
I have taught you all these things in veiled language, but the time is coming when I shall no longer speak in veiled language, but will speak to you plainly about the Father.
When that day comes, you will ask in my name; and it will not be necessary for me to ask the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and you believed that I came from the Father. As I came from the Father, and have come into the world, so I am leaving the world, and going to the Father.”
REFLECTION
We all have what ophthalmolgists call a “blind spot,” namely, an area of our retina in which vision is not experienced. But many of us have other, non-ocular, blind spots. These are topics about which we are either ignorant or prejudiced.
Apollos, the man mentioned in today’s first reading, was “an eloquent speaker and an authority on the Scriptures,” yet he had a blind spot in his faith: he knew only of John the Baptist’s baptism and not about Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit. This was his Christian blind spot. Fortunately for him, the kind couple Priscilla and Aquila helped him overcome his blind spot.
In this connection we can only admire the manner in which these two interacted with Apollos. First of all they abstained from correcting him openly in public, even though his ignorance was about a point of such central importance. They invited Apollos to their home and, presumably over a tasty meal, very tactfully and gently pointed out his blind spot. This worked perfectly, as we can deduce from the rest of the story.
Tact and gentleness are indispensable when correcting somebody. This is an area in which we should all examine ourselves. Are our corrections acts of love?
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