💖 HOMILY - JUNE 26 💖

First Reading - Genesis 12:1-9 

Gospel - Matthew 7:1-5

It's easy to notice a spot in a white sheet of paper. This is to say, a mistake or any fuss of a person projects out glaringly. We do notice them and at times become rash in passing comments. The readings of today invite us to refrain from being rash and impetuous in judging others.

In today’s passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus condemns our careless, malicious, and rash judgments about others’ feelings, motives, behavior or actions. Jesus underlines in the gospel why we should not judge others: 1) No one, except God, is good enough, and only He has the right and authority, to judge us, because only He sees the whole truth and only He can read the human heart. 2) We do not see all the facts or circumstances, nor the power of the temptation, behind a person’s evil deed. 3) We have no right to judge others because we have the same faults as the ones we are judging and often in a higher degree (remember Jesus’ funny example of a man with a wooden beam in his eye trying to remove the dust particle from another’s eye?) St. Philip Neri commented, watching the misbehavior of a drunkard: “There goes Philip but for the grace of God.” 4) We are often prejudiced in our judgment of others, and total fairness cannot be expected from us.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that judgement that we pass on someone is a final verdict. When we pass a final verdict, we declare ourselves better and perfect. We know ourselves that how perfect we are. Therefore, let us leave the judgment to God and refrain from being critical and judgmental. Let us remember the advice of saints: “When you point one finger of accusation at another, three of your fingers point at you. Let us also heed the Jewish rabbi’s reminder, “He who judges others favorably will be judged favorably by God.”