We spend an enormous amount of energy making up our minds about people. Not a day goes by without somebody doing or saying something that evokes in us the need to form an opinion about them. We hear a lot, see a lot, and know a lot. The idea that we have to sort it all out in our minds and make judgments about it is an idea we are born with. 

The ancient fathers said that judging others is a heavy burden, whereas being judged by them is a light one. Once we can let go of our need to judge others, we experience an incredible freedom. We are free to receive mercy, for Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy’ (Matthew 5:7). 

Most of us aren’t aware of how deeply rooted our prejudices are. We’ve convinced ourselves that we relate easily to people who are different from us in colour, religion, sexual orientation, or lifestyle. But the truth is, our spontaneous thoughts, our uncensored words, our knee-jerk reactions, reveal that our prejudices colour everything. Strangers (people different from us) stir up fear, suspicion, and hostility. They make us lose our sense of security by just being ‘other’. 

What’s the answer? Only when we understand God’s unconditional love for us, and begin to see those ‘other’ people as equally loved by Him, can we remove the barriers and begin to build bridges; bridges over which we can walk to share God’s love, and enjoy His family.

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.  I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD."

(Many of the reflections on each page are used with the kind permission of United Christian Broadcastors (UCB) from their FREE daily devotional - The Word for Today. They allow the publication of 52 of their passages per year and I find their messages apt and though-provoking for the times we live in.)

A Circle of Prayer around the world praying for and with each other, for peace and for a world in crisis. Please read more about it and perhaps join us, prayer was never more needed than it is in these times!

Praying all year round for the souls of our deceased relatives and friends, for the souls of those most in need of prayer and for those souls in purgatory who have nobody to pray for them.