Jesus said to his disciples: "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 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."
REFLECTION
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.”
I allowed the gossip, judgment and opinion of one person to shade my opinion of another. So when I met him, he was already categorized, classified and judged before he spoke a word. I was on the lookout for his flaws and his curious way of expressing himself. There was no chance that I would be his friend. I had an advantage over him in that I knew of his past. Yet, I did not know the man who Jesus loved; the man who Jesus died for and who the Holy Spirit transformed.
I needed new specs in order to see him as our Heavenly Father did. I needed to love him as Jesus loved him. I needed a mirror that could bring me back to my past…showing the old me that even I would find difficult to love.
He has forgiven me, has straightened me out and given me a second chance in happiness. There were many beautiful priests whom I met along my walk on the wide and most travelled road. They heard my confessions with compassion and mercy, they shared their knowledge and empathy in spiritual direction and gave me Jesus in Holy Communion.
And what does one do when God has showered them with His blessings and love? We share our gifts with others, we forgive and we do not judge.
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