It's true isn't it? We sometimes only hear what we want to hear . If it sounds similar to what I would say, then yes I am all in, "I hear ya." But if what is offered is criticism , words that are hard to swallow, then "No thank you. Didn't hear what you said." Have you ever experienced that? Why is it so hard to listen to, let alone receive, criticism? I know it's hard for me because it attacks my pride and selfishness . I want to present myself as perfect , and when someone hints slightly that I am not, I get frozen, unsure how to respond, and do not listen. In telling me that I was not as good as I believed I was, it attacks my pride; in sharing with me thoughts and ideas I could improve upon, it attacks my selfishness. I think these two qualities are a dynamic duo, but a bad one, an unhealthy one, one that can lead to fractured relationships and destructive self image . In today's Gospel reading , Jesus said to the Jewish people
