My dad was an optometrist. As a kid, I would have eye checkups with him in his clinic. He’d show me different images to check if I can see them clearly. Eventually, we discovered I had an eye problem. I had astigmatism, so he had to select the right lens for me to see clearly.

At times, we may have “eye problems” in the form of being judgmental toward others. This is often caused by the lens of shame. We have an inner judge that tells us, “You’re ugly,” “You’re not good enough,” or “You don’t belong.” So when we shame ourselves, we shame others too. Shame leads us to judge ourselves harshly and we become judgmental toward others. So, we need to take off the lens of shame and get rid of our inner judge.

Today, Jesus invites you to stop judging yourself. Stop judging others. Don’t take God’s seat. Don’t even borrow it, because you’re a horrible judge. Let God be your judge, because He’s merciful and wise beyond measure. 

Mike Viñas (mikemichaelfcv@yahoo.com)

reflect

Put on the lens of love and see how different you will view the people around you.

Father, no one is more merciful or more forgiving than You. Help me to stop being judgmental. Make me humble and compassionate. Amen.

St. Thomas More, martyr, pray for us.

Does God punish those who sin, as today’s reading suggests? I don’t think so. What the Old Testament describes as punishment is actually the natural consequence of sin. Rather than viewing their suffering as divine retribution, the people of Israel should recognize it as the result of a broken relationship with God. By its very nature, sin is a rejection of Him, but God does not inflict punishment upon us. The consequences of sin serve as our own undoing.

⁵ Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, occupied the whole land and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Israel, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and deported the children of Israel to Assyria, settling them in Halah at the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. ⁷ This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the Lord, their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and because they venerated other gods. ⁸ They followed the rites of the nations whom the Lord had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel and the kings of Israel whom they set up. ¹³ And though the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, “Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,” ¹⁴ they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed in the Lord, their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his statutes, the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and the warnings which he had given them, ¹⁸ till, in his great anger against Israel, the Lord put them away out of his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 60:3, 4-5, 12-13

R: Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

³ O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses; you have been angry; rally us! (R) ⁴ You have rocked the country and split it open; repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering. ⁵ You have made your people feel hardships; you have given us stupefying wine. (R) ¹² Have not you, O God, rejected us, so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies? ¹³ Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men. (R)  

Gospel | Matthew 7:1-5

It is easy to see the faults of others. The real challenge of love is recognizing our own shortcomings and humbly correcting them to protect and nurture our relationships. A healthy practice of self-reflection works wonders in deepening our connections with both God and those around us.

Gospel Acclamation

The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. ² For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. ³ Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” 

Reflect

How do you give constructive criticism to others? 

How do you receive the same from others?

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 CHRONICLES 4 - 6 today.

Humans often fall into the sin of self-righteousness. It is always easier to see the faults of others than our own. During unfortunate situations or when finding faults, we are quick to point fingers at others, not realizing that our other fingers are pointing back at us.

Our Gospel emphasizes the importance of not judging others and recognizing our own faults before pointing out the faults of others. It calls for humility and selfreflection, urging us to address our own shortcomings before criticizing others. Consequently, self-reflection can change our outlook and mindset, leading to a more positive way of reacting to others’ shortcomings. Instead of contributing to negativity, self-reflection allows us to improve ourselves, which is something we can control and work on.

Similarly, the lives of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More exemplify this teaching on self-reflection but with assertiveness. They were martyred in the 16th century for refusing to accept King Henry VIII’s separation from the Catholic Church and opposing the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Convicted of treason for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, which acknowledged the king’s authority over the Church, they stood firm in their moral integrity and refused to compromise their principles. Despite pressure from the king, they remained steadfast against actions they believed were morally wrong.

May we take inspiration from them and, in our Christian journey, aim to live a life of humility, self-reflection, and unwavering commitment to our Christian values and beliefs, even under pressure. 

Fr. Jason Laguerta 

reflection question

How can you practice self-reflection to recognize your own faults?

Lord, teach me to recognize my own faults and shortcomings. Guide me in self-reflection so I may improve myself and see and treat others with compassion and understanding. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________