Monday 20 June 2022

Today is Monday the 20th June, in the 12th week of Ordinary Time.

Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Unveil My Eyes’. You might like to begin prayer today by asking the Holy Spirit to unveil your eyes…where might you need to humbly see a little clearer today?

Unveil my eyes to see your face
That I might recognise your grace
And all these plans you have for me
Use them to set them free


Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 7:1-5

‘Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are not supposed to judge others lightly. Yet we often let our prejudices overtake our good sense. Perhaps there is someone you have judged unkindly in the recent past. You might want to bring that person to your mind and ask for God’s forgiveness.

God sees the good within every human being, no matter who they are or what they have done. There is always at least one good quality that outshines everything else. Can you think of that one good quality in the person you have judged unkindly?

Matthew compares faulty human judgment with obscured vision. Jesus restores sight to many characters in the Gospels. So, as you listen again, imagine Jesus restoring your vision. What would it be like if you could look upon every single person with eyes unobscured by prejudice?

As we come to the end of this time of prayer, you might like to share what you have seen with the Lord. Talk with him about what the world would look like if you gazed upon the people around you with eyes that are clear enough to see other people as they really are.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.