Knowledge of Self: Day One

Image by Traumland-de from Pixabay

Day thirteen at Fish Eaters.

Day thirteen at The Catholic Company.

After the twelve day exercise in casting off the spirit of the world, we seek a knowledge of ourselves. In humility, we recognize that we don't know ourselves.  Psalm 19:12 admits "But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults." Our pride prevents us from seeing the log in our eye when we notice the speck in our brother's eye (c.f. Matthew 7:3). How do we overcome this? Well, we should ask God (and ask our friends to intercede for us).

Today's reading from the Gospel of Luke directs us toward prayer. We do not know how to pray as we ought (c.f. Romans 8:26), and so a disciple asks Jesus how we should pray. Jesus responds with Luke's version of the Lord's prayer.

More than that, Jesus continues with the importance of persistence in prayer (Luke 11:9-11):

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.