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June 23, 2014

God’s relationship with his chosen people became sour because the people did not obey the laws and statutes God gave to their fathers. Instead of serving God, the chosen people served worthless idols. Indeed God as a parent always called the attention of His chosen people through the prophets and seers, but His people were in love with idols.

In the gospel the evangelist is reminding the people not to judge, criticize and perhaps even condemn others, but for us to look at our own lives first and see to it that we are living according to God’s law of love. For we might find ourselves like them or even worse so we have no credibility to criticize others.

We as followers of Christ and now members of His Church have forgotten the message he came to bring – LOVE. What the Lord is forbidding is to put the person down, to find fault in him, to put him to shame so that we would look better than he or she. That is not love, but pride. If we really love a person who needs to reform, we have the responsibility to help him or her to change. There is such a thing as constructive criticism whose purpose is to make the person see his wrong doing without insulting him or her. This is allowed because the purpose is to correct the person, not to put him down. St. Paul said, “Brothers, if a man is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct him in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself so that you also may not be tempted.” (Gal.6:1). This is the primary reason why we judge, to make a brother realize the error of his ways.
Notice that St. Paul says “you who are spiritual” meaning we should be living God’s law of love. And he says “correct him in a gentle spirit” which means not to put him to shame. In doing this, we need a lot of love, compassion, and patience. Let us not give up in helping a person to become better if we truly love him or her.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 4

<< Monday, June 23, 2014 >>

2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18
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Psalm 60:3-5, 12-13

Matthew 7:1-5
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LEARNING FROM SINNERS

"The Lord put them away out of His sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left." —2 Kings 17:18

The kingdom of Israel received the wages of its sins, that is, death (Rm 6:23). The Israelites "rejected His (God's) statutes, the covenant which He had made with their fathers, and the warnings which He had given them...till, in His great anger against Israel, the Lord put them away out of His sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left" (2 Kgs 17:15, 18).

The culture in which we live has been called by Pope John Paul II a "culture of death." Our culture has begun to be paid the wages for its sins of idolatry, rebellion, racism, abortion, unforgiveness, and selfishness. Like the tribe of Judah, only a few Christians, families, marriages, and churches are left that have not been destroyed or warped.

Judah did not learn from the self-destruction of the kingdom of Israel. It continued to sin and eventually destroyed itself. Will we, the survivors in our culture of death, take the plank of sin out of our own eyes (Mt 7:5) and escape destruction, or will we let ourselves be sucked into the sinkhole of sin?

Sin is naturally contagious. The misery of sinners loves company. However, God's grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9). We have the grace to repent, be different, be uncontaminated, and live holy lives. Go to Confession at the earliest opportunity. Do not destroy yourself.

Prayer: Father, I accept Jesus as my Justice and thereby receive Your mercy.

Promise: "The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you." —Mt 7:2

Praise: Louise led her kidnapper to give his life to Jesus. He felt Jesus take away the hatred from his life.