30 July, Thursday — Who am I to judge?

Jul 30 – Memorial for St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor

An adult convert, St. Peter (406-450) fought paganism and heresy, enforced reforms, and built several churches and ornate altars in his see. A preacher with outstanding language skills, he was given the name ‘Chrysologus’, referring to his ‘golden word’. 176 of his sermons have survived; it is the strength of these beautiful explanations of the Incarnation, the Creed, the place of Mary and John the Baptist in the great plan of salvation, etc., that led to his being proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1729.

• Patron Saint Index

Jer 18:1-6
Mt 13:47-53

This is how it will be at the end of time...

During his pontificate, Pope Francis was known for making ‘controversial’ quotes about church teachings and practices that were often sensationalised by the media. One of these quotes was, “Who am I to judge?”, which was made in response to a question about whether there was a ‘gay lobby’ in the Vatican. The five words were uttered after Pope Francis gave an example of a gay person who seeks God and has good will. Taken out of context, the quote unsettled some Catholics and had the mainstream media reporting that the Church could be changing its stance on homosexuality. In an explanation that came afterwards, our former Pope clarified that he made the remark in the context of how Christians should be merciful just as God is merciful, and that what he meant to say was, “Who am I to judge him, if I am capable of doing worse things?”

In the parable of the dragnet in today’s gospel reading, the fishermen gather fish of every kind into one net. When the net is full, the angels, acting according to God’s will, will separate the righteous from the wicked during the final judgement. The emphasis of the parable is not on identifying who belongs among the ‘good’ or the ‘rotten’ fish, but on recognising that the final judgment belongs to God alone. Throughout the Church’s history, however, Christians have sometimes forgotten this lesson.

In the fourth century, a heresy called Donatism emerged. The followers of this heretical sect rejected the idea that the Church is a mixed body comprising both the righteous and the wicked. Donatists insisted that Christians should practise asceticism and that anyone deemed morally impure was unfit for the Church. The inherent flaw in this heresy is obvious — since no one can be absolutely holy — and casting human judgment on who was holy, and who was not, was simply wrong. Although few Christians today would consciously embrace Donatism, there remains a tendency for people to carry out ‘othering’, which is a social and psychological process of creating division based on differences between individuals or groups. For example, those who actively practise their faith could see themselves as spiritually superior to those who are leading an obviously sinful lifestyle. This kind of judgement was harshly criticised by Jesus in the gospels, but it can be very challenging to refrain from adopting such a perspective.

Brothers and sisters, today’s gospel passage highlights the importance of examining one’s own holiness rather than that of others, and reminds us to extend to them the same mercy and patience that God has shown us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us to be humble in heart and slow to judge. May we always show your love, mercy and kindness to others, especially those who are marginalised by society.

Thanksgiving: Dearest Father, we thank you for your unfailing mercy and for calling each of us into your kingdom despite our weaknesses. Thank you for the opportunities to repent and turn back towards you.