St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop 

Sts. John Fisher & Thomas More, martyrs 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

2 kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18

The army of the king of Asshur subjected the whole of Israel,

and they came to Samaria and laid siege to it for  three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, exiled the Israelites to Asshur and made them settle in Halah, at the banks of Habor, the river of Gozan, as well as in the cities of the Medes.

This happened because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh, their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, where they were subject to Pharaoh, but they had turned back to other gods. They followed the customs of the nations which Yahweh had driven out before them.

Yahweh warned Israel and Judah through the mouth of every proph­et and seer, saying: “Turn from your evil ways and keep my com­mandments and precepts according to the laws which I commanded your fathers and which I have sent to you by my servants, the prophets.”

But they did not listen and refused as did their fathers who did not believe in Yahweh, their God. They despised his statutes and the covenant he had made with their fathers, and the warnings he had given them.

They went after worthless idols and they themselves be­came worthless, following the nations which surrounded them, in spite of what Yahweh had said, “Do not do as they do.” So Yahweh became indignant with Israel and cast them far away from his presence, leaving only the tribe of Judah.

 

Ps 60:3, 4-5, 12-13

Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

 

＊＊＊＊ 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, take first the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clear enough to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

 

Gospel Reflection：

We are constantly judging: persons, things, events, circumstances, etc. to live is to judge – because judging is what allows us to discern right from wrong, good from bad, acceptable from unacceptable. Judging is what allows us to discriminate between what is appropriate and what isn’t.

But this isn’t the kind of judgment Jesus warns us against in the gospel. It is, rather, that kind of judgment that puts ourselves above those that we judge, the kind of judgment that sees itself as somehow exempt from that very act of judging, that regards oneself as superior and therefore exempt from all judgment, man’s and God’s. this Jesus says, is what hypocrisy amounts to.

Seek to always abide by the law, whether or not there are others who see you. the most ethical persons are those who can and choose to be ethical in anonymity.