💖 HOMILY - JUNE 23 💖

First Reading - Genesis 12:1-9 

Gospel - Matthew 7:1-5

It is often said that it’s easy to spot a single stain on a clean white cloth. In the same way, our eyes are quick to catch the flaws and faults of others, and our lips not far behind in passing comments or judgments. But today, through the Gospel, Jesus calls us to pause, reflect, and resist the temptation to judge others rashly.

Jesus speaks directly to the heart of our human tendency: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.” These are not just moral instructions but a call to humility. He warns us against the habit of forming careless, hasty, and self-righteous opinions about others. His example is striking—a man with a beam in his own eye trying to remove a speck from his brother’s. In other words, we often magnify the minor faults of others while remaining blind to our own major shortcomings.

Why does Jesus tell us not to judge?

First, because judgment belongs to God alone. He alone sees all—the heart, the intention, the inner wounds, the struggles, the truth behind every action. Second, we never know the full story. Perhaps the person we judge is carrying a burden we can't see, or struggling against temptations we haven't faced. And third, because we are often guilty of the very faults we criticize in others—sometimes in even greater measure.

The first reading gives us the image of Abram, called to leave everything familiar and to set out on a journey of trust. Abram does not question or judge—he simply obeys. He places his life in the hands of God. His example contrasts sharply with the tendency to judge: while Abram trusts in the unseen, we often assume what we do not know and draw conclusions we have no right to make.

Dear friends, every time we pass judgment on someone, we place ourselves in a position that belongs to God alone. Judgment is not only about words—it’s also about attitudes, unspoken assumptions, cold stares, or indifference. But today’s Gospel invites us to take the harder, more fruitful path: that of self-examination, compassion, and mercy.

St. Philip Neri, upon seeing a man stumbling in public, would say, “There goes Philip, but for the grace of God.” A powerful reminder that if we are not in the same situation, it’s not because we are better—it’s because God has sustained us.

Instead of judging, let us ask for the grace to understand. Instead of criticizing, let us offer prayer. And instead of looking down on others, let us look within and let God heal what is broken in us.

May our hearts grow in humility and mercy, and may we become a people who build up rather than tear down—who see the goodness in others rather than fixating on their flaws.

Let us pray that God will give us the grace to live this Gospel call—not only in word, but in attitude, in silence, and in love.