June 25, – 2018 Monday in the 12th Week of the Church Year

Saint for the day: Blessed Thuringia died c. 1260

Scripture reading’s for today’s Liturgy:

2 Kings 17:5 – – -18 – Psalm 60:3 …13 – Matthew 7:1-5

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged” or “What goes around comes around!”

The first reading for today’s liturgy could easily be a front-page newspaper account of current conflicts all around our world. As I’ve said before, “there is really nothing new under the sun. We have been fighting “in God’s name” since the very beginning! I can almost hear God saying, “Who asked you to be my defense or asked you to fight in my name?”

The scripture readings for today’s liturgy – both going along on their own cycle – surprisingly fit together so well that we have to say that God is speaking directly to us about our current situations.

You might find some interesting insights made by an Irish Dominican about today’s Gospel. Click on the following link: another Dominican’s reflection

On the subject of “judging” it is worth noting that psychologists say that even while you’re reading this reflection – or hearing someone speak to you – you are talking to yourself (usually in a judgmental sense) ten times faster than what you are hearing or reading. The next time someone is talking to you about – anything or nothing – check your own self and see that you are preparing what you want to say and not really listening to what’s being said. And the judging is usually not necessarily aimed at the person as much as aimed at what that person is saying.

And this is the cause and source of so many of our world’s problems.

Today our prayer should be: “Give me, Oh Lord, a contrite heart to seek the good of those around me knowing that I, myself, have fallen way short of the goal of having you as a real and living part of my life. Amen!