Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“ For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:1-5

1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

How easy it is to judge somebody else and ignore our own faults. Jesus tells us that we need to ignore the speck in your brothers eye, because you are walking around with a log in yours. We are almost blind to our own faults but see clearly the faults of others. Sometimes we are so good at judging others that we probably think this is a gift, when in fact it is a curse. We might not see any harm in judging others, but when we hear that someone has judged us, we get angry and hurt. Jesus tells us turnabout is fair play. How you judge others you too will be judged. Judgementalism is so rampant because we see ourselves as nearly perfect and everyone else with flaws. We want to change people and make them like us. Our own judgments become the gossip that kills the soul of others. We must learn to let go of the faults of others so we can begin to see our own faults. God can see everything in us, even the things that we do not realize we do wrong. Every sin we commit is known to God. By looking inward, we start to recognize these sins so that they can be forgiven. But to see inward, we must learn to see the good in others. We must learn to have mercy and see beyond the faults of our brothers and sisters. It is so easy for us to misjudge someone. We are biased in our judgment and usually do not have all the facts. God knows all and can see all. He is the true judge. Yet he is has unlimited mercy and forgiveness. Often we judge and condemn. We will face the same condemnation we impose on others. If we forgive and forget, Christ will forgive us.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, I pass judgment on my friends.

I see their weakness and ignore my own.

Give me the strength to see beyond my judgment

So I can see my own weakness and faults.

Give me the humility to be merciful others and

The wisdom to recognize their beauty.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon