DO NOT JUDGE

June 23, 2025 Monday within the 12th week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 7:1-15 In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks words that are both challenging and healing: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.” These words are not meant to condemn us, but to free us—from the burden of always measuring others, and from the loneliness that judgment brings. Often, when we judge others, we are carrying unhealed wounds within ourselves. We become quick to point fingers, not because we are strong, but because we are afraid. But Jesus gently reminds us to turn inward first—to see clearly our own hearts, and to let God’s grace transform us with love. It is easy to focus on the faults of others. But Christ calls us not to fix others, but to love them. Not to condemn, but to understand. Judging closes hearts—love opens them. Judgment divides, but love reconciles. And when we choose love, we begin to see people not as problems, but as brothers and sisters, just like us—carrying burdens, struggling, and yearning to be understood. Jesus invites us to remove the log in our own eye, not with shame, but with the quiet courage that comes from being honest before God. Only then can we help others with gentleness and grace. Friends, if you have felt judged or misunderstood, know this: God does not look at you with harshness, but with mercy. And that same mercy, we are called to extend to others. Let us stop judging—not because we are weak, but because we are strong in love. Let us start loving—not because others are perfect, but because God loved us first, even in our imperfection. In a world full of noise and hurt, may we become bearers of peace, not critics. Healers, not accusers. Let us walk with one another, patiently, kindly, and humbly—just as Jesus walks with us every day. Blessings Fr. Jhack