Monday, June 25, 2018
TODAY'S REFLECTION - MONDAY-12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. William of Monte Vergine, Abbot Confessor
2 Kings 17:5-8,13-15/ Psalm 59:3-5,12-13/Matthew 7:1-5
DO NOT JUDGE
Beloved, because of the infidelity and the stubbornness of the people of Israel, God used the army of the Assyrians to destroy Samaria, the Capital of the Northern kingdom. Persistent disobedience eventually led to a disgraceful and disastrous defeat and deportation. Do I want something like that to happen to me or any nation?
Friends, Jesus continues to point out many important issues in his sermon on the mount. In our today's Gospel reading, he tells us not to judge others and we will not be judged. Many of us are quick to point accusing figures towards others. We find everything wrong with everybody except ourselves. We mostly exaggerate our neighbour's faults and underestimate or minimise and excuse or explain away our own. We fail to see the log in our own eyes, when there is just a little splinter in our brother's or sister's eye. If only we were in the same shoe or circumstance or situation of the other person, we would understand better. My brother, my sister, have you been falsely accused, negatively criticised, partially judged, wrongly vilified, chastised, maligned? Let us be consoled by the fact that God is a JUST AND an IMPARTIAL JUDGE. Only God's judgment is the best. On the other hand, if I also do something basically wrong and a concerned person wants to correct me or draw my attention to it, I should humbly, sincerely and gratefully take it in good faith. Some of us can also be too proud to the extent that when they are correcting us, we also turn to say, "you are not better than me", "leave me alone".
Let us pray for the grace to be faithful and obedient to God in order not to be conquered by any evil force. May we avoid unnecessary and false judgement. May we also learn to correct others charitably and also learn to accept corrections humbly. BE BLESSED.
Fr. Gaa (0206855323/0240308878)