3/18/2019 LENTEN REFLECTION

Posted on Mar 18, 2019 by

[“Stop judging and you will not be judged.“] (Lk. 6:37a)

Sad, comical, ironic, disheartening: many of us Christians have perfected the very thing Jesus told us not to do. We can be really great judgers.  In a certain way this makes sense, since as Christians we’ve been blessed with Jesus’s teaching—know right from wrong.  We can always judge a right action from a wrong one. However sometimes we go too far and condemn a person rather than just a sinful action.

Recently I was asked if a certain individual who is married to a pornstar is a good role model for young men.  It became clear after discussing the question with others that the question presumed a severe negative judgement of the pornstar. Porn is gravely immoral and so we can rightly judge that making porn is awful. However the question at hand judged/ condemned the pornstar as if the pornstar herself was unworthy of love and respect because of her actions.

It’s much easier to judge than to love, yet wasn’t it love and not condemnation what Jesus demonstrated on the cross?  “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn. 3:17).

Take a few moments today to pray for those you’ve judged unfairly, and also plan on a time to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession.

P.S. Some Confession times in the city:

  • Tuesday 4:15pm S.S. Peter and Paul
  • Saturday 9am OLQH
  • Saturday 3pm OLQH
  • Check your bulletins for others
  • Also, you can stop a priest whenever and ask him to hear your confession.