20191016
CONSTRUCTIVE
CRITICISM
16 OCTOBER,
2019, Wednesday, 28th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Romans 2:1-11 ©
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No matter who you are, if you pass
judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you
behave no differently from those you judge. We know that God condemns that sort
of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while
you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgement?
Or are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not
realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance? Your
stubborn refusal to repent is only adding to the anger God will have towards
you on that day of anger when his just judgements will be made known. He
will repay each one as his works deserve. For those who sought renown
and honour and immortality by always doing good there will be eternal life; for
the unsubmissive who refused to take truth for their guide and took depravity
instead, there will be anger and fury. Pain and suffering will come to every
human being who employs himself in evil – Jews first, but Greeks as well;
renown, honour and peace will come to everyone who does good – Jews first,
but Greeks as well. God has no favourites.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 61(62):2-3,6-7,9 ©
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Lord, you repay each man
according to his deeds.
In God alone is my soul at rest;
my help comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
Lord, you repay each man
according to his deeds.
In God alone be at rest, my soul;
for my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress: I stand firm.
Lord, you repay each man
according to his deeds.
Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him
for God is our refuge.
Lord, you repay each man
according to his deeds.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Ps26:11
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn10:27
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my
voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 11:42-46 ©
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The Lord said to the Pharisees: ‘Alas for
you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden
herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have
practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like
taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in
the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that
men walk on without knowing it!
A
lawyer then spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us
too.’
‘Alas
for you lawyers also,’ he replied ‘because you load on men burdens that are
unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.’
CONSTRUCTIVE
CRITICISM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62:2-3,6-7,9; Lk 11:42-46]
There is a cry for
justice in the world today. Many who are seeking justice in truth are seeking
revenge. Justice is to make things right and to ensure fair play for
all. However, what many are seeking when their rights are violated or
when people make mistakes is condemnation and punishment. Today, words of
condemnation no longer come from legitimate authority but from social
media. The judges are found outside the courts. People are using
social to condemn, shame, expose and embarrass the offender so that he or she
no longer has the dignity to face the world. Quite often, such judgements
are arrived at from face value, without knowing the facts of the case or having
them verified. Equally destructive are those who forward and spread
rumors and half-truths to others.
In the first reading, St
Paul cautioned us on making presumptuous judgement on people who have done
wrong. He
wrote, “No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse.
In judging others, you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from
those you judge.” What right do we have to pass judgement on others
especially when we are doing the same thing? People using social media to
pass harsh condemnation on others for their offences, often do it in such a way
as if they themselves have done nothing wrong in their lives, that they have
never cheated, lied, were selfish or angry. Even if we do not do what
they are doing, other areas of our life are imperfect as well. We speak
as if we are free from all sins.
The simple reason why we
cannot make proper judgments on others is because we do not have all the facts
and the circumstances as to why a person committed an offence. Judgment of a crime or an offence
is not just the mere act alone but we have to take into consideration the
circumstances. Even a drug addict cannot be condemned simply because he
is in possession of drugs. If you examine his history, he would most
likely have come from a dysfunctional family, poor upbringing, parents who are
abusive and irresponsible. Without taking the circumstances of a person’s
life and history, but merely punishing a person for a wrong action would not be
doing real justice to the offender. Of course, he has done
something wrong and deserves some form of punishment. But have we asked
what is the cause of his offensive action? We are always looking at the
symptoms but not the cause. The truth is that before the person became an
oppressor, he was once a victim. This is particularly true of pedophiles,
sex predators and drug addictions.
That is why the Lord
advised us that we must first remove our blindness, our ignorance and our
personal prejudices before we can judge objectively. Jesus said, “Why do you see the
speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own
eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘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 neighbor’s eye. (Mt 7:1-5) This is why St James says, “Do
not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil
against another or judges another; speaks evil against the law and judges the
law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who,
then, are you to judge your neighbor?” (Jms 4:11f) Only God who
knows all the facts about us and the sins we commit can judge justly and
fairly. God does not only look at our actions but He sees our intentions
as well whereas we only can see the actions at most but not the intentions.
This explains why only God can judge. Even St Paul wrote, “I am not aware
of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who
judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the
Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will
disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation
from God.” (1 Cor 4:5)
Secondly, when we judge
wrongly, it only shows what kind of person we are. Indeed, making presumptuous
judgement is to commit an act of injustice ourselves. Many of us are so
quick to judge without understanding the true nature of the problem and of the
person who committed the offence. How we judge is itself also a judgment
on ourselves. That is why the Lord said, “Do not judge, so that you may
not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the
measure you give will be the measure you get.” St Paul said, “We know
that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those
who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you
will escape God’s judgement?” St James also warns us, “So speak and so act as
those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be
without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment.” (Jms 2:12f) By passing harsh judgments on others, we
live a hypocritical life as if we have not sinned ourselves. Furthermore,
when we sin, we hope that others will be sympathetic towards us.
Shouldn’t we be doing to others what we like others to do unto us?
The right thing to do is
to surrender our judgement to God. As St Paul says, we will reap what we sow.
The consequences of our sins are inevitable. “He will repay each
one as his works deserve. For those who sought renown and honour and
immortality by always doing good there will be eternal life; for the unsubmissive
who refused to take truth for their guide and took depravity instead, there
will be anger and fury. Pain and suffering will come to every human being
who employs himself in evil – Jews first, but Greeks as well; renown, honour
and peace will come to everyone who does good – Jews first, but Greeks as
well.” When we do evil, evil will befall us. It is not a question
of God punishing us for our wrong doings. Rather, the fruits of our evil
deeds will manifest themselves and return to harm us and cause us destruction.
So we should not be too
worried or disillusioned when evil people appear to triumph and prosper because
the justice of God will take place eventually. As St Paul remarks, “God has no
favourites.” The psalmist assures us that God is faithful to the just.
“Lord, you repay each man according to his deeds. In God alone is
my soul at rest; my help comes from him. He alone is my rock, my stronghold, my
fortress: I stand firm. Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times. Pour out your hearts before him for God is our refuge.”
If we have not yet
incurred the punishment that comes from our selfishness, we will suffer
eventually unless we repent.
“Or are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not,
realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance? Your
stubborn refusal to repent is only adding to the anger God will have towards
you on that day of anger when his just judgements will be made known.”
Instead of taking advantage of God’s grace given to us to repent, we take
advantage of God’s mercy. God permits us to suffer and is patient
with us, hoping that we will repent and save ourselves from worse harm. Alas,
we are ignorant, stubborn, proud and arrogant, wanting to have things our way.
Having been cautioned
about the inadequacy of human judgment, it does not mean that we cannot or do
not make judgments at all in
life, especially over what is good and evil. Whilst we cannot judge the
person’s motives, we can offer constructive criticism that is objective.
Constructive criticism is always objective, rooted in principles and the motive
is always to help and enlighten, not to destroy and humiliate. That was
what Jesus did in the gospel with His three woes against the religious
leaders. The word “woe” or “alas” is not a word of condemnation but an
expression of regret and sympathy because of the ignorance, blindness and
hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. He came not to condemn us but to
save us.
The Jewish leaders were
doing the right thing by observing the laws. However, they did them
externally, for show, for recognition or
simply to fulfill the obligations. They did not obey the laws in the
spirit of what the laws intended, which is to bring about true justice and
love. “Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and
all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you
should have practised, without leaving the others undone.” We can fulfill the
external laws of God and of the Church, but if by doing them, we have not
become more loving, just and compassionate people, we would have failed in
justice and charity. It is the same for the scribes. They were preoccupied with
the interpretation of the laws, going into the details of how the laws should
be implemented without taking into consideration whether it is possible to obey
them. The Lord said, “you load on men burdens that are unendurable,
burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.” True
justice is seen in the love of God and love of men.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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