2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18 / Matthew 7:1-5
The tribes of Israel fall: Only Judah remained.
There comes a time when we must reap what we have sown— perhaps unwittingly. There comes an hour of reckoning. When that hour comes, we may cry, we may curse. We may try to blame others, or we may accept the blame ourselves. We may wish we could cram a lifetime of change into an hour, but we can’t. Such a moment of reckoning came for the tribes of Israel. n spite of the prophets God sent to warn them, they did not change. And so, the day of doom came for the tribes. Only Judah remained.
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What kind of harvest are we planting at present in our lives? “Of all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been.’ ” John Greenleaf Whittier
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There is one challenge with wearing clothes that are white-colored or light-colored. Especially with the white-colored clothing, it is difficult to keep it from getting dirty. Any spot or stain is easily noticed and brought to attention. Yet somehow the focus seemed to be on the spot or stain and the obvious color of white is forgotten.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us not to judge, or more precisely, not to criticize. Because Jesus knows how easy it is for us to indulge in criticism. It is like focusing on the spots and stains on a piece of white cloth.
In life, minor irritations like spots and stains can become major issues. Criticism is always destructive, and it also does the devil's work for him. So, when we look at another person, let us look first at his good qualities. Let us look at the overall whiteness, although the spots and stains can be quite distracting. Or like what Jesus said, when we see a splinter in another person's eyes, let us look closely again. Because that splinter may just be a reflection of the plank in our own eyes.
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MONDAY OF THE 12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Introduction The Northern kingdom of Israel is punished for deserting God through the destruction of the country and its people’s exile. For people who walk side-by-side with the Lord, there is no room for superiority complexes that look down on the people around us to condemn them. We have all the same calling in Christ. Do we not often judge and condemn in others that which, consciously or unconsciously, we condemn in ourselves? At times we even secretly rejoice that our brother or sister suffers from the same shortcoming to a greater extent than we do. If we apply the law to others, God will measure us with the same severity of the law. Let us look into ourselves and remove the beam from our own eyes before we discover the splinter in the eyes of others.
Opening Prayer Lord our God, we are people who have not yet seen what you have prepared for us, yet, who have to take you on your word and to walk forward in faith and hope. Give us faith, Lord, a deep faith that asks for no other certainty than that you know where you lead us and that all is well and secure because you are our God and Father who loves us for ever and ever.
Commentary Judgment is mine, says the Lord. The Assyrian invasion of Israel was as severe as it was destructive. The deportation of captives to Assyria was widespread, with Israel suffering the consequences for many years after. In today’s reading from Kings, it is asserted that the reason for such destruction was Israel’s moral waywardness. Idolatry had become the order of the day; the covenant and its statutes were disregarded. The prophets went unheeded. The invasion was an act of God’s judgment. The Gospel, however, presents judgment in a different light. It is really quite a compliment when we refer to someone as being “non-judgmental.” We may see things in another’s conduct that make us put them on trial in our minds. But that is not our responsibility, and in any case, we usually don’t know all the facts. Moreover, Jesus reminds us that our own faults are often more glaring than those of the person we judge. It is clear that we should avoid judging or making comments about others. If we are generous in our dealings with others, God will be generous with us. It is a question of “measure for measure.” Harshness never makes friends; generous feelings almost always do. If we take the wooden log out of our own eyes, we will see others in a different light.
Points to Ponder The lesson of the Assyrian invasion Our proclivity to judge others The virtue of being non-judgmental.
Intercessions
– Lord, do not allow us to take pleasure in judging people, but, like you, in pardoning them, we pray:
– Lord, let our faith be an act of trust that we are in your hands, you want our happiness and you know where you lead us, we pray:
– That the awareness of our own shortcomings may dispose us to put aside our irritation at the mistakes of others, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts Generous Father, you give us your good gifts without measure, for you are our Father. Accept in these offerings of bread and wine our willingness to learn from your Son to love one another without measure, to learn to understand one another, and to go together with the ways of peace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion Lord God, our Father, your Son came into the world not to condemn it but to save it. For this, he gives himself to us here in this Eucharistic celebration. Let us share in his attitude. Make us look into our own hearts and learn to see in our neighbor, behind their faults and failures, the face of him who came to forgive and to fill us with his life, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing “Do not judge and you will not be judged.” The tendency among us is so strong and persistent that it is very difficult to eradicate. May God bless you to make you more deeply Christian, so that he can judge you more mildly: The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
