Word to the Wise
Monday, June 23, 2025 - Monday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 12:1-9 and Matt 7:1-5]"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." [Matthew]
Although the symbol of "justice" is a set of scales, often held by a blindfolded woman called "Lady Justice," a wooden gavel is often used as a symbol of a civil judge's position. My father was a judge and when he was elected, my siblings and I presented him with a HUGE wooden gavel, which never made it to the courtroom. I think of that gavel in administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation because one of the most common faults I hear in that setting is "judgmentalism." I have often advised the penitent (and myself) to take that huge gavel out into the yard and bury it to make any judgment difficult if not impossible!
The fault of being judgmental can be subtle, and if we are not careful, it can become a serious obstacle to any kind of spiritual progress. Yes, we are sometimes called to "see, judge and act," as the familiar formula says, this is not the same as forming a negative opinion, based on our own personal biases and expectations. This can lead to destructive behavior that harms both the one doing the judging and the one who is being judged.
Jesus' teaching about being judgmental touches our daily lives and relationships and even our political/social opinions. "All........are.......!" Anyone in a position of authority is asked to make prudential decisions after weighing a number of variables and options. This calls for careful discernment of one's own motives as well as the situation calling for "judgment." Jesus challenges all of us to this almost daily task. What does our record show? AMEN