GUESS  WHY I  DID IT,

BECAUSE  I DON’T EVEN

KNOW WHY I DID IT.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 12^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Guess Why I Did It, Because I Don’t Even Know Why I Did It.”

How many times have we said something like that – especially after we did or said the wrong thing – to the wrong person at the wrong time?

JUDGING  MOTIVATIONS

In today’s gospel – Matthew 7: 1-5 - Jesus gets into the great topic of  judging others – especially their motivation.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives us some great stuff on how we see each other

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you want to avoid judgment, stop passing judgment.”

Then he adds in his own way – what  psychologists  often say: “You’re projecting your motives onto another.”

We spend a lot of energy – on issues of judging motives.

We do a lot of judging. We might not say it out loud – but we say or think inwardly, “I know why you did what you did.”

Jesus says that the verdicts we predict on others  boomerang back on us.

Jesus also says that the measure we measure others by – will be the measure we’ll be measured by.

 In other words, what goes around comes around.

If that’s true, why not judge with mercy – the great theme of  Pope Francis – and we’ll be judged with mercy?

Jesus is saying we spot the specks and the splinters – in others eyes or skin – and miss the planks in our own.

I love it that Pope Francis - in his trip down to Southern Calabria the other day [June 21, 2014]  – had a tiny splinter in his finger  - and someone spotted a doctor in the hospice he was visiting who  removed it. I wonder it that incident will appear in a sermon on today’s gospel.

Jesus is saying here that we spot the spaghetti spot on the other person’s shirt – and miss the rip in the seat of our own  pants.

Jesus is dealing here with Pharisees – who spent their lives going around as life’s police – or judges.

Jesus is saying check yourself out first.

Jesus is saying: retire from the judge’s bench. Take off your judicial robes. It doesn’t pay to be a judge.

WRAP UP

The title of my homily is, “Guess Why I Did It, Because I Don’t Even Know Why I Did It.”

It’s so easy checking out  one another – cleavage or klutziness – length of skirt or length of sad face – or what have you – and it’s so easy to avoid our own territory – or look in the mirror.

If we did we’d find out many things.

One: we might realize,  “Hey, I don’t even know why I did that – or said that.”

Two: we might say, “Sorry – at times I don’t like myself – or I don’t want  to visit my motivations, so it’s easier to pick on you.”

Three: We might realize and say, “To be honest – I don’t know how God is – whether he’s tough or tender – God Cop or Bad Cop – Strict or Lenient Judge -  but maybe if I spend some honesty time with Him, I’ll find out God, our Father is as Jesus advertises Him to be: a God of mercy and a God of forgiveness.”