Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.

There is a reason we are not called to be judges. We think, speak, and act imperfectly. Our knowledge is limited and incomplete. Our feelings can get in the way of justice and truth. God’s Judgments, however, are true and just for He knows, speaks, and acts perfectly. He understands our true motives and therefore what we truly deserve. He gave us His Commandments so we might follow His Will. He offered us His Son so we might imitate Him. He sent His Holy Spirit to all so we might be enlightened and grow into holy and good servants.

How can we resist the worldly temptation to judge others? What can we do to place our trust in God’s Divine Judgment? How can we live in accordance with God’s precepts and lead true and just lives?

O Lord, your judgments are true and just.

Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here, please, " while you say to the poor one, "Stand there, " or "Sit at my feet, " have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

The world will try to impress us in many ways. It will try to convince us we can treat people differently depending on their status. It will tell us we should show preference for one type of person over another. However, this is not what Jesus did in his life. He treated everyone the same, sinners and holy people, good and evil, rich and poor, male and female. He judged them not by their outward appearances, but by their inner spirit. He even went so far as to tell his disciples they needed to humble themselves and become servants if they wanted to follow in his footsteps. Jesus loved everyone he met completely and totally and we are all called to the same love, even of our enemies.

Have we let the world convince us some people are more or less worthy of our love? How can we become more Christ-like in how we treat others? What can we do to avoid becoming judgmental?

O Lord, you are the one and only judge.

Amen.

Twelfth Monday of Ordinary Time

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

It can be tempting to point out the flaws and faults of others. It is often easier to see their sins because we are distanced from them. However, just because we see someone sinning, doesn’t give us the right to judge. We shouldn’t condone the sin, but we shouldn’t condemn the sinner. God is the judge who will have the final say because He knows the hearts of His children better than anyone else. So instead of focusing on other people’s problems, we should focus on our own. We are not sinless and we should constantly remind ourselves of this fact. Perhaps with time and practice we will be able to see the wooden beams in our eyes and notice our moral blind spots. Then, we will be in a better position to advise our brothers and sisters because we shall do so out of love and mercy and not out of false pride.

What are the sins that blind us to our own faults? How can we see ourselves more clearly? What can we do to remove these sins from our lives?

O Lord, remove the beam of sin from our eyes so that we can see others as you want us to see them.

Amen.

The Fifth Monday of Lent

You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone. And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men can be verified. I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.

It is human nature to judge by appearances. However, we should do our best to remind ourselves that our knowledge of others is imperfect. No matter how well we think we know someone we cannot know everything. We do not see their motives, their temptations, their secrets, or their moral struggles. As such, we should keep an open mind about our family, friends, and neighbors. They might do something that annoys or hurts us and tempts us to condemn them, but we should resist that temptation because it is not our right to judge others, but rather God’s. He knows the hearts and minds of men. This is not to say we should not blind ourselves to the faults of others, but rather that we should seek to help them overcome their failings with words founded in love.

Do we judge other people? Do we recognize God as our one and only true Judge? Are we willing to forgive others and to help them overcome their sins through acts of love?

O Lord, grant us the humility and wisdom to not judge others.

Amen.

The Fourth Saturday of Lent

“Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”

Sometimes we judge people even before we meet them because of gossip and second-hand knowledge. These opinions can color how we treat others and even cause us to mistreat them. This is one of the reasons why Jesus warns us against judging others. God is the only one who should judge another person's character. Unlike us, He sees everything and knows the context we don't have. He also knows the hearts of others whereas we only know what we can see and make assumptions based off of incomplete knowledge. This is why it is so important to be open to changing our opinions about other people, especially those we have the most difficulty liking or understanding.

Do we listen to or spread gossip about others? Do we prejudge people? How can we cultivate hearts that are not prejudiced, but rather loving and understanding?

O Lord, keep us from condemning others and instead find ways to love all your children.

Amen.

The Fourth Friday of Lent

“Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

People are constantly persecuting Jesus throughout the Gospels. They argue with him, belittle him, try to arrest and even kill him. They convince themselves that they are right and he is wrong. We act the same way when we sin against God. We make ourselves into judges of others and decide what is right and wrong for ourselves instead of trusting the teachings of the Church. The pride behind these thoughts can destroy our lives and the lives of others. This is why it is so important to remind ourselves that Jesus's example and teachings should be the guiding factor of our lives and not our self-interests because we too were sent to this world for a reason only God knows.

Are there areas in our lives where we belittle or push away God? How can we foster within ourselves a spirit of dependence on God and His Divine Truth? What can we do to ensure God's Will is being done through us and not our own?

O Lord, we come from you, lead us to where you need us to be.

Amen.

Fifth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”  He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

Although we might not be Pharisees, sometimes we act like them in our dealings with others. We fall into the temptation to see only the faults in others, to notice the differences between us and them, and to even believe we are better than this person or that person. However, Jesus does not teach us to judge others. That is not what we are called to do in this world. Instead, God calls us to be bearers of His Love, Mercy, and Grace to our brothers and sisters. We are all flawed or broken by sin and so we should not be so quick to judge others. Rather, we should seek to know, love, and serve them as Jesus would if he was standing in our place.

Do we judge others? What can we do to remind ourselves that we are not called to be judges, but rather to be messengers of God’s Providence? Do we recognize our own faults so that we can more easily forgive those who trespass against us?

O Lord, bring our hearts closer to you.

Amen.

Twenty-Eighth Friday of Ordinary Time

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Sometimes we are tempted to talk about someone behind their back or do something in secret because we know someone else won’t like what we are doing, but nothing goes unseen by God. All our lies, gossip, betrayals, etc. are on constant display before God. Nothing gives us the right to say or do anything hurtful in secret. We might convince ourselves that we aren’t hurting anyone, but deep inside we know that words as well as works can hurt others. This is why it is so important to be honest and upright in our dealings with others and should never judge them. Judging is for God alone. At the same time, we should not think that our sins do not have consequences for others. Even the most private of sins injures our relationship with God and our family, friends, and neighbors. There is no such thing as a victimless crime. So let us be good and faithful servants living in the light of the gospel and proclaiming it in our every thought, word, and work.

What do we do when we are tempted to talk about someone else behind their back? What do we do when others start to gossip or judge? Do we try to make amends with others when we sin against them?

O Lord, we want to live in your love and proclaim your good news from the housetops.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, “I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building.”

Jesus reminds his audience that their ancestors persecuted the prophets, believing what they were doing was the right thing. Just like their forefathers, the scholars and Pharisees think they know right from wrong. They see Jesus as a threat rather than as a savior and so they put all of their energies into interrogating and plotting against him. They have made themselves judges of good and evil just as Adam and Eve did and this is why Jesus tells them that they will be charged with the blood of all the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. They have condemned themselves by making themselves into judges, a right only God has. Just like the scholars and the Pharisees, we too are constantly tempted to make judgments against others. Of course, the judgments we make against others will also be made against us on the Day of Judgment. So let us not make ourselves into judges, but rather let us be like the prophets, proclaiming the gospel through our words and works.

Do we make judgments against others or persecute them for their faults? Do we do confront others’ sins in a spirit of love or do we do so in a judgmental manner? Are we willing to be sent out into the world like the prophets to proclaim the gospel?

O Lord, send us into the world as your prophets.

Amen.

Memorial of St. Martha

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Sometimes when we are busy, worried, or otherwise distracted, we can lose sight of the important things in life. We, like Martha, let our emotions and sense of injustice get the better of us. We begin to judge others by our own standards and make assumptions about them based entirely on our own priorities. However, we are not called to judge others or force them to “do their fair share.” We should not let our own anxieties color our perception of others. Instead, we should try to put aside our worries, take a deep breath, and focus on what is really important in life, namely hearing the word of God and responding to it with true and active devotion. Martha does not see her sister’s active faith and so she thinks she is being lazy, but this is far from the truth. Mary is contemplating the gospel. Her mind and heart and soul are at work, while her sister focuses on the bodily needs of her guests. This is not to demean Martha’s work, which is also necessary, but rather that Martha in her business has not yet had the opportunity to interiorize the message of Jesus.

Are we too busy to contemplate the life of Jesus and his gospel? What anxieties and worries keep us from devoting ourselves to the spiritual life? How can we do a better job of choosing the better part of life?

O Lord, we are worried, but with your help we will chose the better part.

Amen.

Twelfth Monday of Ordinary Time

“Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.”

Jesus tells us to stop judging others and look to fix our own sins first. It’s easier to see other people’s faults and to judge them by their actions, but this is not why we are here on earth. We are not meant to be judges. God is the only reliable judge of what is good and evil. We tend to hear and see what we want to about others. We are biased by our own agendas, moral blind spots, and experiences. We give certain people the benefits of the doubt, while others we don’t trust at all. However, we do not know what is in the hearts of other people, only God knows that. This is why we do not condemn others. We might not condone what they do—after all there are actions which are evil and that we should not stand for. But what we don’t do is make a judgment in regards to another person’s soul. This is why Jesus reminds us to look to ourselves first. We are sinners, too. We might not see our sins as being as bad as someone else’s, but in the end we are not sinless. So before we confront others about their failures and imperfections, we should first address our own. And that can take our entire lives.

Who are the people we have condemned in our lives? What are our sins? How can we learn to love the sinner, but hate the sin?

O Lord, help us remove the beams from our eyes so that we can see how best to know, love and serve our neighbors.

Amen.

Second Monday of Lent

Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you.

When we judge and condemn others, we judge and condemn ourselves. We cast the stone even though we are not sinless. Judgment and condemnation are reserved for God alone and when we usurp them for ourselves we manifest the original sin of Adam and Eve by claiming what is rightfully God’s, namely the knowledge of good and evil. This does not mean we stand idly by while people around us do evil, but rather that we confront it with love rather than judgment. We are called to hate the sin, but love the sinner. When we do this, we are more forgiving and giving of ourselves in love, even to those we dislike or who persecute us. God knows our hearts and as long as we strive to forgive and love, He will forgive and love us.

Who are we judging and condemning? Who should we forgive or give ourselves to? How can we manifest the love of God to those whom we dislike?

O Lord, help us cast aside judgment and condemnation and take up the mantle of forgiveness and love.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.

We often talk a good game about doing God’s Will, but when it comes to actually doing the right thing we can sometimes convince ourselves to do the wrong thing because it seems more socially acceptable or avoids conflict with others. We can also convince ourselves we are morally superior to others and act holier-than-thou toward them because of their sinful lives. However, we must always keep in mind that we are sinners too and should not judge lest we be judged by the same measure.

Do we honor God with our lips only, or also with our hearts? Have we acted superior to others? If so, then how can we make amends to them and love them as Jesus loved the sinner, but hated the sin?

O Lord, help us to honor you with our hearts and seek not to judge others.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.

The unforgivable sin in this gospel is the scribes’ attribution of the good works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. Jesus points out to them that if they cannot tell the difference between good and evil then they are doomed to be divided and destroyed. If they cannot see that driving out demons is a good act, then how can they claim to even know what good is? Sometimes we can become so sure of ourselves that we act like the scribes in this gospel and judge other people when we should be seeking to reconcile with them. We should always remember that we condemn the sin, and not the sinner. It is God’s job to determine whether someone is evil or not.

Who are the people in our lives whom we have judged? Have we ever tried to see our relationship or their actions from their point of view? If something is wrong, then how do we condemn the sin, while loving the sinner?

O Lord, let my heart be united with yours and grant me the grace to love even those whom I find most difficult to love.

Amen.