Romans 14: 7-12
Brothers and sisters:
We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Practicing Non-Judgment
“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?” It’s a rhetorical question, but if you sit with it for a bit, it becomes more than rhetorical. Why do you? Why do I? We are called to answer and, perhaps someday, to account.
The world does not make it easy for us to refrain from judging. The world, especially through our hate-soaked social media, prompts us to berate, ridicule, and heap scorn on those with whom our in-group disagrees. Many would-be religious and political leaders invite us to judge and even condemn those they see as “others” and outside the fold.
But the Gospels and St. Paul tell us that we belong to Christ and through Christ we belong to one another. Paul teaches that we are co-essential components of the mystical Body of Christ. To see every “other” as a brother or a sister in Christ is to see as Christ sees. To see as Christ sees is to look upon each and every other person with love and compassion.
How do we do this? By practicing non-judgment. The daily Examen prayer can be adapted for just this purpose.
—Bill Lipscomb is a spiritual director with the Ignatian Spirituality Center and the Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bill is a graduate of the Seminars in Ignatian Formation program of the Midwest Jesuits. Bill serves as a board member for the Ignatian Spirituality Project and as a spiritual reflector for the Ignatian Volunteer Corps.
Prayer
A Particular Examen for Non-Judgment
- Begin by thanking God for the beauty of this day and note at least one grace, one gift, one delight that you received.
- Ask God for Light to allow you to see your day as God sees it.
- Ask God to show you instances during your day when you refrained from judging others -- even though tempted to judge. Review each instance with God. Talk to God about what happened and how you feel now looking back.
- Also ask God to show you instances during your day when you succumbed to judging others. Talk to God about what happened and how you feel about your actions. Ask for forgiveness and commit to doing better tomorrow.
- Look ahead to tomorrow with great hope, asking God to help you refrain from judging while presuming the good in all those you will encounter.
—A Particular Examen for Non-Judgment
Pray with the Pope
Pray with the monthly prayer intentions of the pope.