You are gods?

Today's Readings - http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/033012.cfm

I love Lenten season, it is my most favorite season in the church calendar. To me, it's like going through a much needed major tune up for a car, and cleaning up all the gunk in the engine.

The closer we get to the week that changed the world, the more dramatic the scenes get. In today's gospel, the Jews and Jesus are having a very heated argument. If we try to put ourselves in that situation, what would our reaction be to Jesus' words? Would we believe Him? or call him a liar also? I was wondering why is it so hard for the people to believe in Jesus during his days, even if He was performing miracles and wonders. If Jesus was here today doing miracles and wonders, I wonder if we would welcome Him with open arms or send him to jail?

The Jews pretty much made up their mind during those days and were quick to judge and ready to stone Him. Perhaps it was the sin of pride, or jealousy, or hardness of hearts that is driving their anger. Or was it because Jesus was pointing out their sins and faults in plain sight and they could not accept it?

It is true, that it is hard to accept our faults. It is only through humility that we can find ourselves accepting our own sinfulness and that we make mistakes, that we are at weak and that we are human after all.

Let me share with you a story that I heard from the homily of Father Mitch Pacwa of EWTN...(this may not be the word for word homily, but I am hoping to deliver the gist of it). He said there was a person that came to him for confession. The person has not been in the confessional for a long time and it seems that the person can only remember a few of his sins and that he considers himself not a bad person after all. He even justified himself saying, "It's not like I have murdered a person"...And that's where the problem lies. Fr. Mitch said, if we start comparing ourselves to Al Capone, of course we would stand out and look like a saint, but if we start comparing ourselves to Jesus, then we start seeing our weaknesses and mistakes, and that we are not doing so well after all.

It is so easy to judge a person even without knowing them, but when we look at ourselves first and compare ourselves to Jesus, then we see that we have a lot of work to do on ourselves first before we judge or correct other people. And this is why, perhaps it was so difficult for the Jews to give Jesus a chance to enter their hearts during those days, because the measure of their moral values are themselves.

When we are on the brink of judging others, let us measure ourselves to Jesus first and ask for the grace to humble ourselves, and "take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5).

Wishing you all the most blessed Lenten season...

Jesus loves you!