Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Jesus says: Stop judging…
I have noticed something about myself that I really don’t like. I tend to judge by appearances. I see somebody, and I immediately assume that I know something about them. Worse yet, I am the Monastery Porter, and I answer the phone. Someone calls, and just from the sound of their voice, I begin to imagine something about them without ever seeing them. I suspect I am not the only person who does this. In today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to be telling us whether we are talking on the phone or seeing someone on the street or even in church: do not judge. Better yet, if someone injures you in any way by word or deed, forgive them. I can honestly say that this is harder than making a rash judgment. The first impulse is to get even if we are wounded or misjudged, but we might do well to remember what Jesus said on the cross: “Father, forgive them.”
Reflection by Fr. Martin DeMeulenaere, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections