Feast of the Irish Martyrs

Good morning. Today’s Gospel verse is often one referenced by some to defend their own behavior. It is commonly used to detract from whatever wrong doing they are being asked to account for. The confusion comes with a fairly common error in our culture over the issue of tolerance, and the lacking capacity to distinguish between making a judgment and being judgmental. Folks in our culture frequently assume tolerance means to accept whatever a person does. At least it seems to me that when others make reference to today’s Gospel line “Stop judging, that you may not be judged” it is generally to call us to task to be more tolerant. Now, I don’t believe that Jesus is suggesting we be more tolerant, at least not in the way it is generally understood in our society, but rather I believe He is suggesting that we need to be about judging ourselves first, clean our own house up before pointing out the need for others to do the same. I believe what Jesus is saying to us is that we shouldn’t let other’s shortcomings detract from our own need to do better. Jesus is reminding us that we need to be attentive to our propensity for being sinful and not suggesting that we tolerate other’s sinfulness, in fact we are called to bring attention to other’s wrong doing in a charitable way. The point isn’t about being judgmental or not being tolerant it is about calling ourselves to task with the same judgment as we would anyone else. I’m not being judgmental when I question ‘same-sex marriage’ or ‘open marriages’, or pre-marital sex, these things are simply wrong. They would be wrong for me as they are for everyone. Just saying is all. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good lives, gifts, and works of the Irish Martyrs.