Father Rick’s Two Minute Homily for Monday 12th Week in Ordinary Time 06-20-2022
Monday 12th Week in Ordinary Time 2022
Matthew 7:1-5 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062022.cfm
JUDGING AND SPLINTERS
I remember our DRE and music director, Fred, telling me he was working in the yard. Accidentally, he picked up something full of splinters. He pulled out the big ones. But there were several small splinters that he could not reach. In consultation with his doctor, he discovered that those little splinters had to work themselves out. There was nothing else to do.
Some things are like that in life. Judging others can be one of those splinters we cannot just pull out. The splinter is an irritation that will not go away, and so is judging an irritation on our minds, hearts, and the person we judge. Yet, we don’t see it as an irritation, probably because we know we are right and they are wrong, at least in our minds.
We see someone and easily judge their appearance and base our thoughts and feelings for them on a shallow assumption. Then, of course, we do this with their morality, politics, and other choices. Amazing how we know it all, but our minds are so small, and so are our hearts.
Jesus tells us in the gospel today that we will be judged as we judge others. There will be little room for empathy in our hearts for anyone, even ourselves. When that happens, we condemn ourselves. We become more self-centered, distancing ourselves from people, even the ones we love the most.
It is much easier to recognize the sin of judging and ask Jesus for his mercy. Acknowledge the wooden beam in our own eyes and how we see people. Repentance and belief in the empathy that Jesus has for us create room in our minds and hearts to understand and accept anyone, especially people different from us. How could we be so silly to put stuff before the presence of Christ Jesus in someone?
The goodness and kindness of Christ in us are like the blue sky. It is always there waiting for us to remove the cloud of judging. So go to Jesus and be a friend to your enemy. Any beam becomes a splinter when we ask Jesus to help. He can even get the smallest splinters we cannot reach. Then, the irritation in us will be gone.
IGNITE THE FIRE!
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
