Gospel: June 23, 2025
June 23, 2025 (Monday)
12th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green)
Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 & 22
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
1st Reading: Genesis 12:1-9
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse, and in you all people of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Abram took Sarai, his wife, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set out for the land of Canaan. They arrived at Canaan. Abram traveled through the country as far as Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” There he built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him. From there he went on to the mountains east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There also he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. Then Abram set out in the direction of egeb.
Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5
Do not judge; and you will not be judged. In the same way you judge others, you will be judged; and the measure you use for others will be used for you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, and not see the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Come, let me take the speck from your eye,’ as long as that plank is in your own? Hypocrite, remove the plank out of your own eye; then, you will see clearly, to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Reflection:
“Jesus challenges hypocrisy.”
Christ’s parables sometimes use exaggeration for effect. Today’s Gospel is one such example. The exaggeration has a touch of humor to it, too. Jesus is pointing out that our moral blind spots can be great, to the point of being ridiculous, and yet, we still fail to spot them. Even with such a flaw we feel able to claim the moral high ground and criticize someone else for a tiny misdemeanor. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Come, let me take the speck from your eye,’ as long as that plank is in your own?” And so, Jesus challenges hypocrisy. Our life of faith should have an integrity about it, coupled with a self-awareness, so that we correct our own faults before challenging others. The saints teach us that self-knowledge is key to spiritual growth, since if we are unaware of our faults and failings, we cannot seek God’s help to change. A daily examination of conscience is an important part of this growing self-awareness since it allows us to give thanks for the good and ask pardon for the bad, and to ask for God’s grace to be more faithful disciples.
