“Be merciful... Stop judging and you will not be judged.” - Luke 6:36-37

It is so easy really.
      You take a glance at the person, and you have an impression.
      His fingernails are clean, therefore he’s neat. Her outfit is plain, and so she’s simple.
      He drives a new car, so he’s a “prospect.”
      Her hair is straight, so she married a rich man (thank you, shampoo commercial).
      But then it could get complicated...
      She’s so loud, and commands too much attention. Maybe she had a miserable  childhood. It would be hard to be her friend.
      He’s such an introvert. Perhaps he was abused. I’d stay away.
      That couple? They are so unromantic to one another. I suppose they were unloved children. And their kids? They will grow up a nuisance to society.
      The things I entertain in my head. The thoughts I keep.
      It is shameful.
      Nothing is what it seems. I can never truly understand anybody fully.
      What is it I ought to do, though?
      Show mercy.
      Accept.
      Forgive.
      Love.
      It all boils down to this. Lallaine G.

REFLECTION:

Have I fallen into the trap of judging too quickly? How can I set myself free?

Purify my mind Lord, thought by thought. In its every detail, cleanse me. Teach me to think of my brethren as You would. Always in love.

Daniel 9:4-10

St. John Chrysostom in one of his writings tells us there are five stages of repentance and the first is to admit or confess our faults to God. Today’s reading from Daniel tells us the same thing. The only path to reconciliation with God is to humbly repent of our sins and then entrust ourselves to the mercy of God. We cannot hold anything against God, as He has not sinned. We are the sinners. If we do not want to repent of our sins, then we had better make sure that we do not sin!
  
4 “LORD, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments, 5 we have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. 6 We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. 7 Justice, O LORD, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. 8 O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. 9 But yours, O LORD, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you 10 and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.

P S A L M

Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13

R: Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise. (R)

G O S P E L

Luke 6:36-38

God is a loving and forgiving God. We do not have to fear that when we repent of our sin He will be angry, rather, a lack of repentance on our part is far more likely to produce anger on His part. He is happy when we repent as it means that we are coming back to Him. What more could He ask of us than that? God desires our repentance for our sake, not His, so that in repentance we will be reunited with his love.
  
36 Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. 37 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
  
my reflections
think: We do not have to fear that when we repent of our sin He will be angry.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Judges 19-21

I am amazed how some people use the word combination “harsh judgment.” I believe judgments made on people are always harsh. I mean, can we really make judgments on people and remain tender? We see a young Filipina walking side by side with a tall foreigner and we easily say, she’s a bar girl walking with her client. We see a man with well-built muscles sporting tattoos on both arms and we say he’s an ex-convict. We see a person who is shabbily dressed and we say he’s a beggar.
      I really admire people who are able to suspend their judgments on people. People who are principled with “walang masamang tinapay.” They are not easily drawn to think ill of people. I know of a person who carries this kind of principle. He is not easily drawn to make judgments on people. So when he sees the above situations he says: about the girl—she must have just been approached by the man who’s having a hard time going around the city and she’s just helping out; about the tattooed man—he just simply enjoys the work of art done on his body; about the man who dresses in tatters—he just wants to wear comfortable clothing. Call it being naive, but this disposition for me is really admirable.
      I believe this is the kind of disposition that we need to have as Christians. We need to deal with anybody without any judgment and not make presumptions on people as if we are better. Fr. Sandy V. E.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do we come to hasty conclusions just by sight?

May Your eyes of Mercy replace my eyes of judgment.

St. Oliva, martyr, pray for us.