ON CHARITY AND JUSTICE:
LET GOD, AND ONLY GOD, BE THE JUDGE OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR HEART.
In today’s 1st reading taken from the 1st Book of Samuel 16:1–13, God asked the him to go to Jesse’s house for He has chosen one of his sons as king of Israel. When Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab, he “thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. NOT AS MAN SEES DOES GOD SEE, BECAUSE HE SEES THE APPEARANCE BUT THE LORD LOOKS INTO THE HEART.’”
God’s response to Samuel is a very important reminder for us that only He can discern what is inside a person’s heart. All of us have the tendency to judge others, erroneously at that, because we are carried away by what we see exteriorly.
“THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER AND JUDGE WHO IS ABLE TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY. SO WHO, THEN, ARE YOU TO JUDGE YOUR NEIGHBOR? (James 4:12)”
LET US NOT FORGET THAT ONLY GOD CAN SEE OUR THOUGHTS, DESIRES AND INTENTIONS AND THAT JUDGMENT ON OTHER PEOPLE’S INTENTION AND BEHAVIOR IS GOD’S RIGHT AND PREROGATIVE AND ONLY HIS’. Otherwise, we can easily commit a sin against charity and justice if we precipitately consent to wrong judgments regarding a person’s behavior or intention.
St. Josemaria taught his spiritual children:
“Let us especially resolve not to judge others, not to doubt their good will, to drown evil in an abundance of good, sowing loyal friendship, justice and peace all around us.
And let us resolve never to become sad if our upright conduct is misunderstood by others; if the good which, with the continuous help of our Lord, we try to accomplish is misinterpreted by others, who delight in unjustly guessing at our motives and accuse us of wicked designs and deceitful behavior.
Let us forgive always, with a smile on our lips.”
(Christ is Passing By, n. 72)
Dear friends, let us strive daily to overcome our evil tendency to judge others harshly, rejecting precipitated and critical thoughts regarding other’s intentions or behavior. Moreover, let us not see nor put second intentions to what others do, for only God can read what one has in heart and his intentions and God, and only God, has the right to judge other people.
Let us always learn to excuse and save the good will and intention of others as well for only in this way can we live the charity and justice which Our Lord asks from each one of us.
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