Reflect today whether or not you struggle to judge those around you

"Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but don't feel the wooden beam in yours?" Luke 6:41

How true is this! How easy it is to see the minor defects of others and, at the same time, not to see our most evident and serious defects. Because that's how it is?

First of all, it is difficult to see our faults because our sin of pride blinds us. Pride prevents us from thinking honestly about ourselves. Pride becomes a mask we wear that features a false person. Pride is a bad sin because it keeps us from the truth. It prevents us from seeing ourselves in the light of truth and, consequently, it prevents us from seeing the trunk in our eyes.

When we are full of pride, another thing happens. We begin to focus on every little flaw of those around us. Interestingly, this gospel speaks of the tendency to see the "splinter" in your brother's eyes. What does it tell us? It tells us that those who are full of pride are not so interested in overcoming the grave sinner. Rather, they tend to seek out those who have only small sins, "splinters" as sins, and tend to try to make them seem more serious than they are. Unfortunately, those steeped in pride feel much more threatened by the saint than by the grave sinner.

Reflect today whether or not you struggle to judge those around you. Particularly reflect on whether or not you tend to be more critical of those who struggle for holiness. If you tend to do this, it may reveal that you struggle with pride more than you think.

Lord, humble me and help me free myself from all pride. May he also let go of judgment and see others only the way You want me to see them. Jesus I believe in you.