MONDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mt 7:1-5) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged.” (Mt 7:1-2)

FIRST READING - 12:1-9

A reading from the Book of Genesis

The LORD said to Abram:

"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk

and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.

"I will make of you a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

so that you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you

and curse those who curse you.

All the communities of the earth

shall find blessing in you."

Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.

Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,

all the possessions that they had accumulated,

and the persons they had acquired in Haran,

and they set out for the land of Canaan.

When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land

as far as the sacred place at Shechem,

by the terebinth of Moreh.

(The Canaanites were then in the land.)

The LORD appeared to Abram and said,

"To your descendants I will give this land."

So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,

pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.

He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.

Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 7:1-5

From hte Gospel according to Matthew

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."

MONDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mt 7:1-5)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God for today teaches us the basic principles for living a life that is pleasing to God the Father: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged.”

Who has the right to condemn? Only God is the lawgiver, and only He has the authority to judge and condemn. Human beings do not have the right to condemn anyone, because all people are equal creatures created by God. God gives each person a unique gift; no two people are alike. Each soul is different before God the Father. Only God has the full authority to judge a person's soul. Only God, the Almighty and Perfect One, can fully see into a person's soul and judge whether it is good or bad.

Therefore, to live in a way that pleases God the Father, everyone should follow His teachings:

• First, do not harbor thoughts or attitudes of condemning or judging anyone in daily life. God loves both the good and the bad.

• Second, God also admonishes: “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Therefore, we should always treat others with kindness, both the good and the bad. Give and love with all your being so that God will reward you accordingly.

• Third, before God, we must strive to live a righteous life for ourselves before trying to help others. As God said, “Remove the wooden beam from our eyes first; then we will see clearly to remove the splinter from our brother's eye.” Therefore, God teaches that whoever wants to guide others must first live a good, upright life, one that pleases God and follows His teachings. Only then should we reach out to help those around us live in a pleasing way to God.

To do this work, each of us needs to have God in our hearts. This means loving God with all our hearts, putting Him above all things, and living in close union with God the Father. With God dwelling in our hearts, we will be able to bring God to others, help them recognize the God of Love, and guide them to receive the grace of conversion—the grace to abandon the path of sin and return to God the Father.

Today, God calls on everyone to do these three good things to please God the Father, to be loved by Him, and to be embraced in His loving arms.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 June 23, 2025 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven