LOOK IN
THE MIRROR BEFORE JUDGING OTHERS
THE MIRROR BEFORE JUDGING OTHERS
(Posted
by Deborah Castellano Lubov)
by Deborah Castellano Lubov)
The Pope gave this advice during his homily at morning Mass in
the Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio, as he pointed out that God’s
judgment is distinguished from ours by “mercy,” not “omnipotence.” Because
judgment belongs only to God, the Pope explained, “If we do not want to be
judged, we should not judge others.”
the Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio, as he pointed out that God’s
judgment is distinguished from ours by “mercy,” not “omnipotence.” Because
judgment belongs only to God, the Pope explained, “If we do not want to be
judged, we should not judge others.”
Drawing inspiration from the Gospel, the Pope said, “All of us
want the Lord to look upon us with kindness” on Judgment Day and hope He “will
forget the many bad things we have done in life.” Therefore, if “you judge
others constantly,” he warned, “with the same measure you shall be judged.” The
Lord, he said, therefore asks us to look in the mirror: “Look in the mirror,
but not to put on makeup to hide the wrinkles. No, no, no, that’s not the
advice! Look in the mirror to look at yourself as you are. ‘Why do you see the
speck that is in your brother’s eye and do not notice the log that is in your
own eye?’ Or, how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out
of your eye,’ while the log is still in your eye? And how does the Lord look at
us then, when we do this? One word: ‘hypocrite.’ First take the log out of your
eye, and then you shall see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s
eye’.”
want the Lord to look upon us with kindness” on Judgment Day and hope He “will
forget the many bad things we have done in life.” Therefore, if “you judge
others constantly,” he warned, “with the same measure you shall be judged.” The
Lord, he said, therefore asks us to look in the mirror: “Look in the mirror,
but not to put on makeup to hide the wrinkles. No, no, no, that’s not the
advice! Look in the mirror to look at yourself as you are. ‘Why do you see the
speck that is in your brother’s eye and do not notice the log that is in your
own eye?’ Or, how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out
of your eye,’ while the log is still in your eye? And how does the Lord look at
us then, when we do this? One word: ‘hypocrite.’ First take the log out of your
eye, and then you shall see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s
eye’.”
The Argentine Pope observed that here, “We see that the Lord
gets ‘a little angry,’” for He calls us ‘hypocrites’ when we try to put
ourselves in His place, like Adam and Eve did. The serpent persuaded Adam and
Eve to defy God, saying, ‘If you eat this, you’ll be like Him,’ Francis
recalled. “For this reason,” Pope Francis underscored, “being judgmental is
very ugly. Judgment belongs only to God, to Him alone!” the Pope
exclaimed. It is for us to “love,” to “understand, to pray for others
when we see things that are not good” said the Pope, inviting us to talk kindly
to others so that they may learn from their mistakes: “But never judge.
Never! And this is hypocrisy, if we judge.” The Pope warned that if we judge
others, we “are putting ourselves in the place of God” with our “poor” and
“never true judgment.” Our judgment, Francis explained, cannot be like
God’s “because our judgment is lacking mercy, but when God judges, He judges
with mercy.”
gets ‘a little angry,’” for He calls us ‘hypocrites’ when we try to put
ourselves in His place, like Adam and Eve did. The serpent persuaded Adam and
Eve to defy God, saying, ‘If you eat this, you’ll be like Him,’ Francis
recalled. “For this reason,” Pope Francis underscored, “being judgmental is
very ugly. Judgment belongs only to God, to Him alone!” the Pope
exclaimed. It is for us to “love,” to “understand, to pray for others
when we see things that are not good” said the Pope, inviting us to talk kindly
to others so that they may learn from their mistakes: “But never judge.
Never! And this is hypocrisy, if we judge.” The Pope warned that if we judge
others, we “are putting ourselves in the place of God” with our “poor” and
“never true judgment.” Our judgment, Francis explained, cannot be like
God’s “because our judgment is lacking mercy, but when God judges, He judges
with mercy.”
Noting
that human judgement lacks the mercy of the Lord’s judgment, Francis
concluded, praying, “May the Lord make us understand these things.”
