June 23

June 23, 2014:  Monday, 12th week, Ordinary Time

Readings

• 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18  King Shalmaneser took Samaria and deported the children of Israel to Assyria.  This came about because they sinned and venerated other gods; though the Lord warned, “Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments,” they didn't listen.  Only the tribe of Judah was left.

• Ps 60:3, 4-5, 12-13  "Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us."  You've have rejected us, broken our defenses, rocked the country and split it open; repair its cracks.

• Mt 7:1-5  “Stop judging; you'll be judged as you judge.  Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but not the beam in yours?  Hypocrite, remove the beam; then you'll see clearly to remove the splinter.”

Pope Francis

• Homily:  One who judges...
• is wrong because he takes the place of God, the only judge.  And to judge, God waits, but we act hastily.
• gets confused, often obsessed with the one he wants to judge.  He's deluded, wanting to remove his speck but not seeing his own log.
• becomes defeated, because he'll be judged by the same measure.
• makes accusations, contrary to what Jesus does:  Jesus defends; he's the first Paraclete and invites the second, the Spirit, to us.  In the Bible, the accuser is called Satan.  Jesus will judge at the end of the world but now intercedes and defends.  "Don’t sin, but if you do, we have a lawyer who defends us before the Father" [1 Jn 2:1].  To follow Jesus, we must defend, not accuse.

Remember this whenever you want to judge or speak ill of another, which is a form of judging.  Lord, help us imitate Jesus the intercessor, defender, and lawyer for us and others.

Music

• Man in the mirror/ Jackson; lyrics (gospel)


• If you missed the Corpus Christi music, please visit yesterday's post, including Thomas Aquinas music (Lauda Sion, Pange lingua/Tantum Ergo, Sacris solemnis/Panis Angelicus, Verbum supernum/O salutaris), plus 6 for "bread of life" and 2 for "one body/many parts."

Reflections

• Creighton:  We can be prophetic and take positions without judging.  We can critique because we can measure quality, but we can't criticize because we can't measure intention or the heart.  Criticism judges agent, not action.

• Passionist:  When I remove my beam and see clearly, I may see there's no splinter at all, or at least that things are different from how I saw them before.  For example, I might have judged your shyness as snobbery, but once I let go, I may see that you need to be lifted up, not taken down.

• DailyScripture.net:   To grow in love and away from judgment, think the best of others. 

'Hypocrite' is the right word.  Judgers are like masqueraders portraying others' character through the mask.  'Hypocrite' signifies pretender; avoid meddlesome pretenders who, often moved by hatred/malice, censure under the pretense of seeking advice.  When you have to reprove, proceed with discernment and caution.  Is the fault one you've never had, or have overcome?  If you've never had it, remember you're human and could have had it; if you've overcome it, remember our common frailty, so mercy, not hatred, leads you correct, so whether it leads to amendment or the worsening of the one you reprove, you'll be safe.  If you find you have the same fault, don't correct nor rebuke, but bemoan the fault and induce the other to, without asking him to submit to your correction. (St. Augustine, Sermon on the Mount 2.XIX.64)

• Universalis:  St. Etheldreda, abbess; St. Thomas Garnet, Jesuit priest, martyr, sang Veni, Creator Spiritus as he died.

• Sacred Space

Apparel

• "Question mark" tie pin (top): Jesus' questions:  "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but not the beam in yours?  How can you say, ‘Let me remove that splinter’ while the beam is in your eye?  Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?" (gospel)
• "Eyeball" and "wood square" tie pins: my brother's eye with splinter, mine with beam (gospel)
• "Ruler" tie bar:  "the measure you measure will be measured to you" (gospel)

• "Hand" tie pin:  "help us with your right hand" (psalm)
• "Rock" tie pin:  "You have rocked the country" (psalm)

• "Golden calf" tie pin:  "the children of Israel venerated other gods" (1st reading)
• Green shirt, green in socks:  Ordinary Time (season)

• "Food" tie:  The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever (Sunday gospel)
• "Lamb/sheep" tie bar:  Christ, Paschal Lamb, Good Shepherd (Sunday sequence)
• "Dog" tie pin:  Don't let the Bread of children be cast to the dogs (Sunday sequence)

Dress your life!