MONDAY, TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Gn 12: 1-9 Ps 33: 12-13, 18-20, 22 Mt 7: 1-5
CALLED, NOT TO JUDGE, BUT TO LOVE
Man can perceive only the external conduct of a person but God can see us through and through. Man can be erroneous in judgment but God is Justice itself. Man cannot know the intentions of the human heart but God probes to the depths of the heart that He made. Therefore, God alone is the just Judge. Charity is the ultimate calling of a Christian. ‘When we judge others, we have no time to love them’, says St. Teresa of Kolkata.
When we forget the truth of our creation and redemption, we easily commit the sin of judgment. When the creature considers itself worthy of the Creator’s role, it wears the garment of pride. Pride can be conquered only by humility. Remembering the humility of the Divine Infant in the manger and the charity of the Crucified Love, we would not desire to judge others. God demands mercy from us, not judgment. An introspection on the sin of judgment would help us understand that we too may be committing the same sins we condemn others with. Christ who never condemned the woman caught in adultery is a shining example for us. When questioned by the Scribes and the Pharisees, He keeps silence on the matter. Shrouding the shrine of our souls in holy silence would keep us from quickly passing judgment.
Divine grace alone makes man good. If grace is withdrawn from us, what is left is nothingness and an inclination to sin. Reverencing every human person who is created in the divine image is what God expects from His beloved people. Imitating the humanity of Christ in our earthly life will help us attain to His Divinity and share in His glory in the life to come. Our one goal is to stand before Christ with a blameless heart rich in mercy. Then will He utter to us His everlasting word: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage.
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