Luke 6:36-38
In today’s Gospel, Jesus, speaking to his Apostles, presents a familiar teaching to us: Do not judge others, but be merciful. This does not mean we should allow others to sin, but that we should correct them and bring them out of sin. We cannot judge or condemn others, but we also can’t condone their sin. We must show mercy and compassion without compromising to sin. Jesus goes on to tell us that if we do not judge and condemn others, we will not be judged or condemned; if we show mercy on others, that He will show mercy on us. He calls for us to forgive one another as He did, so that we too can be forgiven. This Lent, we are called to prepare for our Lord. Today’s Gospel offers to us a way to better “prepare the way of the Lord.” It tells us to cease judging and excluding others, so that we can invite them to join us on our Lenten journey. So, this Lent, let us all follow Christ’s example in today’s Gospel, and invite our family, friends, and neighbors to ready themselves for the Lord’s Resurrection this Easter.