Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7, 1-5
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
Criteria
1. Don’t judge. In life, we often act like commentators, but there’s a difference between giving an opinion and passing judgment—what’s missing is a key element: certainty. Opinions lack proof or certainty and are therefore debatable. It’s important to refrain from forming judgments based on debatable matters. Despite this being a straightforward concept, many still convert opinions into declarations and allow these to significantly impact the lives of others. Similarly, why do you allow something debatable or unfounded to affect you so deeply? Throughout your life, people will talk about you, even after you’re gone. So, don’t let opinions or prejudices affect you, because the truth will always prevail.
2. Notice. Sometimes, you spend your life focusing on another person’s situation without looking at your own life. To avoid hurting them, you hide the truth or stay to keep them company, enslaving yourself in the process. To prevent their distress, you avoid correcting them, and so on. Deep down, all you’re doing is prolonging your sadness and anxiety. There’s a difference between selfishness and self-love. Selfishness is using others for your benefit, while self-love means taking care of yourself and valuing your well-being. Therefore, focus more on your life and stop being someone who only acts to solve the lives of others because no one can give what they don’t have. You can’t transform, conform, or please everyone, nor should you sacrifice your freedom for another person’s benefit.
3. Hypocrite. Hypocrisy means wearing masks, but the greatest hypocrisy is deceiving oneself by denying one’s reality and ignoring one’s true identity. The face you see in the mirror every day is the one you need to learn to see and accept. Don’t lie to yourself and avoid hiding from your true self. God called you to live freely and authentically and to embrace who you truly are. Begin making decisions for yourself rather than for others. Build your life on self-respect and your love for God and from that foundation, extend care to others. Don’t become someone who solves everyone else’s problems while neglecting your own.
Always remember something good is on the way.
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
