In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us another teaching that challenges us: “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.” In our modern, perhaps even post-Christianity society, we hear things like: “I’m not judging,” “no judgment here, “you do you,” “Love the sinner, not the sin,” etc. For many of us, who try to live according to the natural laws of God and His Commandments, and the Beatitudes and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shy away from “judging” the actions of others for fear of being labeled judgmental or worst (Homily, 6/30/2025).
I want to share this commentary from Donald DeMarco, Ph.D. that I recently read in hopes of helping us to better understand what Jesus means when he tells us to “stop judging, that you may not be judged.” Quote: “It is important that we not overextend the meaning of ‘Judge not’ to include the legitimate use of the mind in judging ideas, whether they are correct or erroneous actions, whether they are good or bad, and propositions, whether they are true or false. We need to make judgments in these matters in order to help people. [Saint Thomas Aquinas once said,] ‘The greatest kindness one can render to any man consists in leading him to truth. Sheer ignorance would be of no help to anyone. But we are neighbors to each other and inherit the solemn obligation to be of help to each other, especially on the road to salvation. We are, in fact, required to use our minds to assist others as we navigate through the various [obstacles] that life has set before us.”
The author continues, saying: “The day will come when God will judge each one of us. But who we are in the eyes of God is not someone that any one of us can know. It is in this sense that the command, ‘Do not judge’ has its decisive meaning. Jacques Maritain, in his book, “On the Use of Philosophy”, expresses the matter accurately and beautifully: ‘But we are utterly forbidden to judge the innermost heart, that inaccessible center where the person day after day weaves his own fate and ties the bonds binding him to God. When it comes to that, there is only one thing to do, and that is to trust God. And that is precisely what love for our neighbor prompts is to do.’”
Finally, today begins Religious Freedom Week with the feast day of Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs. According to the USCCB: “Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher. . . bore witness to a deep faith in Christ and his Church. . . More and Fisher are well-known for opposing King Henry’s divorce. Ultimately, it was their refusal to sign an oath of supremacy that led them to be executed. . . It is good to love one’s country, but ultimate loyalty is due only to Christ and his kingdom. Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher show us what faithful citizenship looks like. They loved and served their country. . . But when the law of the king came into conflict with the law of Christ, they submitted to Christ. These men gave their lives for the freedom of the Church and for freedom of conscience. They bear witness to the truth that no government can make a claim on a person’s soul.”
Therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, may we exercise right judgment, examine our conscience, and use our religious freedom to live out our Catholic faith not only in our private lives but also in public and to serve the good of all for the greater glory of God.
