CONDEMNING OTHERS is a spiritual disconnect from God and a temptation that clouds people’s judgment and blinds them from seeing the good in others, a Dominican priest said.
In his homily during a university-wide mass for the lenten recollection, Fr. Jayson Gonzales, O.P. of the Priory of St. Thomas Aquinas said “throwing stones” or inflicting harm on others tempts individuals to stray from God’s intent for them to foster love and mercy.
“To throw stone or anything to another person is a temptation to lose sight of the way of God… What is God’s way? His way is love,” Gonzales said at the Santisimo Rosario Parish church on Friday, April 11.
“We are being reminded of the importance of digging deeper, going deeper into our hearts, because if we dig deeper, we’d be able to find Jesus will always be there for us, showing us the way of love.” he added.
This call to love, Gonzales said, echoes the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas to seek the well-being of others.
“That’s why we are reminded by our patron, St. Thomas Aquinas, to love is to will the good of the other,” he said.
According to Gonzales, self-righteousness and pride are two temptations that draw people away from faith.
Recounting the biblical account of the adulterous woman who experienced Jesus’ compassion, the priest said many fall into the trap of condemning others while ignoring their own faults. He warned against adopting a “holier-than-thou” attitude and emphasized that while sin must be denounced, the sinner should be met with understanding.
For Gonzales, such a temptation could be avoided by recognizing God and his understanding of those who are lacking in terms of expressing Christ-like love.
“We condemn the sin, yes, but we do not condemn the sinner because love can see through. God, despite our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, sees through our hearts. He knows that our ability to love is unlimited. Even though there are times we fall short of loving, the Lord reminds us of our true nature,” the priest said.
“And if God recognizes all this good in our hearts, hopefully we can also recognize God and understand other people who fall short of loving.”
He also cautioned against pride that can blind people to the good in others, including in Jesus himself, as reflected in the Gospel reading where people sought to stone Christ.
“They failed to see the good things Jesus has done for them. Why? Because their eyes were blinded by their self-sufficiency and self-idolatry… They want to stone Jesus. But then, other than taking a stone and stoning Jesus, they have a stony heart. They have a hard heart,” Gonzales said.
To overcome the temptation of pride, Gonzales cited the importance of detaching the heart from ego-centeredness and making room for God.
“That is why if our hearts are full of ourselves, there can no longer be space for God,” he said.
The mass was preceded by a recollection, silent reflection and the Way of the Cross at the Benavides Garden, an observance centered on contemplating Christ’s suffering and death
Lent is a 40-day Christian penitential preparation for Easter. It is observed by offering prayer, fasting and reflecting on Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion.
This year’s institutional lenten recollection carried the theme “Pilgrims of Hope: Journeying with Christ in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.” F
