DANIEL 9: 4b – 10

O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and merciful love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 79: 8, 9, 11, 13 (R/.) Psalm 103: 10a.

R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins

Do not remember against us
the guilt of former times.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
For we have been brought very low. R/.

Help us, O God our saviour,
for the sake of the glory of your name.
Free us and forgive us our sins,
Because of your name. R/.

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you,
Your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die. R/.

Then we, your people, the flock of your pasture,
will give you thanks forever and ever.
From age to age we will recount your praise. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION:
John 6: 63c, 68c.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ

GOSPEL
LUKE 6: 36 – 38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
REFLECTION: Judging the Actions, Not the Heart
March 14, 2022

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” (Luke 6:37)

Have you ever met someone for the first time and without even talking to this person suddenly came to the conclusion of what you think of them? Perhaps it was that they seemed a bit standoffish, or had a certain lack of expression, or seemed distracted. If we are honest with ourselves we’d have to admit that it’s very easy to come to an immediate judgment of others. It’s easy to immediately think that because they seem distant or standoffish, or lack that expression of warmth, or are distracted, that they must have a problem.

What’s hard to do is to completely suspend our judgment of others. It’s hard to immediately give them the benefit of the doubt and to presume only the best.

On the flip side, we may encounter people who are very good actors. They are smooth and courteous; they look us in the eye and smile, shake our hand and treat us in a very gracious way. You may walk away thinking, “Wow, that person really has it all together!”

The problem with both of these approaches is that it’s really not our place to form a judgment for good or for ill in the first place. Perhaps the one who makes a good impression is simply a good “politician” and knows how to turn on the charm. But charm can be deceptive.

The key here, from Jesus’ statement, is that we must strive to be non-judgmental in every way. It’s simply not our place. God is the judge of the good and the bad. Sure we should look at good actions and be grateful when we see them and even offer affirmation for the goodness we see. And, sure, we should notice poor behavior, offer correction as needed, and do it with love. But judging the actions is much different than judging the person. We ought not judge the person, nor do we want to be judged or condemned by others. We do not want others to presume they know our hearts and motives.

Perhaps one important lesson we can take from this statement of Jesus is that the world needs more people who are non-judgmental and non-condemning. We need more people who know how to be true friends and love unconditionally. And God wants you to be one of those persons.

Reflect, today, upon how often you do judge others and reflect upon how good you are at offering the kind of friendship others around you need. In the end, if you offer this sort of friendship you will most likely be blessed with others who offer this sort of friendship right back! And with that you will both be blessed!

PRAYER:
Lord, give me a non-judgmental heart. Help me to love each person I encounter with a holy love and acceptance. Help me to have the charity I need to correct their wrongdoing with kindness and firmness, but to also see beyond the surface and see the person You created. In turn, give me the true love and friendship of others so that I may trust and enjoy the love You wish me to have. Jesus, I trust in You.