DAILY HOMILIES #examine

“If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:13). This is a stark reminder of the consequences of indifference. It echoes the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). No one has it all; no one is absolutely rich. We are all poor in one way or another. This is why we need each other.

Don’t be too quick to destroy or bring people down simply because you don’t agree with them. Ask yourself, “what if I am wrong?” The truth is that you cannot always be right. There is always going to be something you can learn from those who hold different opinions with you. The key thing is humility.

When next you feel a strong urge to correct someone, post a condemnatory video on social media, cry out about an act of injustice, or even gossip about someone to a friend, please examine your conscience thoroughly. Examine your heart, correct yourself, point the torchlight inwards so you can see the log, then remove the log first before you go ahead to judge or criticize. Maybe, while removing your log, you will discover why it has been so difficult for others to remove their specks. Maybe, the lessons you learn will help to refine how you condemn. Maybe, in the end, you will realize there is just no need to condemn anyone at all but to simply begin to do that which you desire to see in others.