Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 7: 1-5
It’s easier to destroy than to build

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged” (Mt 7:1). With these words, Jesus invites us to tread lightly, to walk humbly, and to love deeply. Because truthfully, it is easier to destroy than to build.

Judging without mercy wounds deeply: How much harm we cause when we judge others recklessly! Harsh words, quick condemnations — they can tear down what took years to build: a friendship, a family bond, a community. I, too, have felt the sting of being judged unfairly, and I’ve also judged others in ways I regret. If we forget charity when we speak or act, we risk destroying not only others but ourselves. Before judging, we must ask: will this help or will it harm?

Look within: Jesus says: “Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but not the log in your own?” It is a powerful image — because it is so true. How often do we criticise others while ignoring our own faults? Some sins are visible, others are hidden, but all of us are sinners in need of mercy. In God’s family, there are no first-class or second-class Christians. We are all children of the same Father, and we must look at one another with the same compassion with which He sees us.

Your brother matters: Christian life is not lived alone. God places people around us so that we may grow in love. Helping our brother, we help ourselves; judging him, we condemn ourselves. Every person is an opportunity to grow in grace. Every brother or sister is a sacred gift.
Let us then build, not destroy. Let us forgive, not accuse. Let us love, as Christ loves us.
Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025