Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent - April 2
Genesis 17:3-9 John 8:51-59
I have a confession: I hate tattoos. Don’t like them. Never have. I cringe when I see people who have them. I don’t know why. There is no traumatic event in my life involving tattoos. I just don’t like tattoos.
No big deal, right? A little weird; but who cares? Except I judge others who have tattoos, and it affects my relations with people. It’s not like I hate everyone with tattoos. I have friends and family with tattoos – I still care for them. But it bugs me for some reason.
While my dislike of tattoos is an oddity, it’s not that unusual to judge others. We do it all the time and there is some value to judgment. In order to live in a civilized society, we must be measured and governed by rules. We must be judged to avoid chaos. But do we judge too much?
So, what does any of this have to do with the Readings? Today in the Gospel we hear about judgment: “They picked up rocks to throw at Jesus.”
In the Gospel, Jesus encourages us to be true to his word. Yet, like the Jews in the story, I don’t always lead such a life. I judge someone with a tattoo. If not tattoos, maybe the clothes they wear, the company they keep, their politics or religious beliefs. Maybe it’s the homeless. Maybe it’s the criminal. But who am I to judge? Who am I to cast stones?
Mother Teresa has been quoted to say, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” As Catholics we are called to love as God loves us – sacrificially and genuinely. If we constantly live in judgment of others, we are judging not loving.
For the rest of Lent, when I see or hear something I dislike – I will try not to judge. Instead, I will try to love the differences. I will try to grow my love for others – even those with a tattoo.
Q: Who are the others in life that I struggle to love? How can I grow my love for them?
I have a confession: I hate tattoos. Don’t like them. Never have. I cringe when I see people who have them. I don’t know why. There is no traumatic event in my life involving tattoos. I just don’t like tattoos.
No big deal, right? A little weird; but who cares? Except I judge others who have tattoos, and it affects my relations with people. It’s not like I hate everyone with tattoos. I have friends and family with tattoos – I still care for them. But it bugs me for some reason.
While my dislike of tattoos is an oddity, it’s not that unusual to judge others. We do it all the time and there is some value to judgment. In order to live in a civilized society, we must be measured and governed by rules. We must be judged to avoid chaos. But do we judge too much?
So, what does any of this have to do with the Readings? Today in the Gospel we hear about judgment: “They picked up rocks to throw at Jesus.”
In the Gospel, Jesus encourages us to be true to his word. Yet, like the Jews in the story, I don’t always lead such a life. I judge someone with a tattoo. If not tattoos, maybe the clothes they wear, the company they keep, their politics or religious beliefs. Maybe it’s the homeless. Maybe it’s the criminal. But who am I to judge? Who am I to cast stones?
Mother Teresa has been quoted to say, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” As Catholics we are called to love as God loves us – sacrificially and genuinely. If we constantly live in judgment of others, we are judging not loving.
For the rest of Lent, when I see or hear something I dislike – I will try not to judge. Instead, I will try to love the differences. I will try to grow my love for others – even those with a tattoo.
Q: Who are the others in life that I struggle to love? How can I grow my love for them?
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