Jesus warns against judgment of others and to strive for personal holiness. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Prudence so he strives to live in the Truth of Christ and by growing in the Virtue of Vindication so he holds himself accountable for his personal sins through frequent Examination of Conscience.
Liturgy
12th Week in Ordinary Time – Monday – Mt 7:1-5
Commentary
Jesus continues His proclamation of His New Covenant in the Sermon on the Mount. Having revealed how men are to go beyond outward practices of piety and seek inner holiness in Chapters 5 and 6, Jesus now reveals how sinful men are to charitably admonish and correct other sinful men.
Jesus commands men to not judge other men. Jesus is not saying to accept or excuse sin, for Jesus hates sin and urges fraternal correction, by “taking the speck out of your brother’s eye” and also urges fraternal correction elsewhere (Mt 18:15). Jesus is saying men are not to pronounce condemnation on men for their sins, either in public or in their private thoughts; it is impossible to love when men condemn others as irredeemable. Only Jesus, the Divine Judge, has the authority, wisdom and power to accurately judge all men, which He will do when He separates the “sheep from the goats” in the Judgment (Mt 25:21-46).
As He teaches in the Lord’s Prayer, men’s trespasses will be forgiven, only if they forgive others (Mt 6:12); here, Jesus reveals men will be judged by the measure by which they have judged other men. Jesus calls men who judge other men “hypocrites”, humorously mocking how sinful men are blinded by their own sin (a “log” in their own eye) and cannot rightly judge another man. Instead of judging, Jesus focuses men on their own growth in holiness (first, remove the log in your own eye). As one’s sins lessen and men become more filled with Jesus’ light, they can gently help another willing soul turn from sin (helping a brother remove a splinter in his eye) through charitable fraternal correction.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be awed by the uncompromising Jesus: the perfection of Diligence (a part of Justice), He uses Humor to Mock (a beam in the eye) foolish men as hypocrites (pretenders) who do not diligently confront their own sins and repent, leaving themselves spiritually blind and unable to offer helpful advice and bringing down judgment upon themselves; perfection of Charity, Jesus exhorts men to repent and seek holiness (remove the beam from one’s eye) so they can charitably Admonish and Instruct those stuck in sin (Spiritual Works of Mercy).
Be prudent and live the Truth of Christ
Realize: Today, many with worldly power have rejected God, and, because they now blindly follow Satan, are prone to significant erroneous judgment and they coercively promote evil and increasingly insane ideas which defy God, reason, science, and even common sense; many men do not recognize the growing evil, are losing the ability to know the difference between good and evil on fundamental questions of morality, and are falling into all kinds of mortal sin.
Believe: Reflect upon Erroneous Judgment (CCC 1790-1794).
Pray: Jesus, Perfection of Prudence, help me build the Virtue of Prudence, so I know, understand and accept Your Truth, make right judgments based on Your truth, and live my life in accordance with Your Holy Will as perfectly preserved in Your Holy Catholic Church.
Be accountable for sin with a regular examination of conscience
Realize: Jesus’ call for men to battle against personal sin (“remove the log from one’s own eye”) begins with regular examination of one’s moral conscience.
Believe: Reflect upon Moral Conscience and the Examination of Conscience (CCC 1454, 1776-1789).
Pray: Almighty Father, help me build the Virtue of Vindication (a part of Justice) so I understand I am accountable to You for my sins, I regularly examine my conscience, and frequently return to You with deep contrition in the Sacrament of Penance.