By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Do you ever lay in bed—not ready to rise, but just kind of snoozing til the rude ol’ alarm (curséd may it be) goes off. In-between awake and asleep, the thoughts just wandering—ideas, past events, deeds done well … and those not so well. Some people claim that they have no regrets; well, lucky you. I know that I have plenty—duties neglected, people treated badly, (fill in your own blank here). Yes, one muses on joys and successes, but also surfacing are memories of times that I did not behave quite as well as I should have and, worse, as I knew I should have. It’d be difficult to believe that anyone could lead a perfect life, burdened as each of us are with our human faults and foibles. Even the saints had faults.

But who among us really has no regrets? We remember Jesus challenging the crowd who sought to punish the woman caught in adultery: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)—no doubt each of their minds immediately recalling their own personal sins. It’s telling that “… when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest … “ (v. 9). Whether those older persons melted away first was due to longer life for failing, or more public knowledge of their own sins and thus the danger of public hypocrisy, or simply because they, too, lay in bed in the morning musing over their regrets, we don’t know; maybe a mixture of all three.

But this illustrates starkly to not to be condemnatory toward others, for we ain’t so perfect ourselves! Such is, I think, what is really meant when we read: “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls,” (Romans 14:4), and Jesus emphasizing “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” (Matthew 7:1-2).

It certainly does not mean not to try to teach and correct those who are doing what is wrong or evil; in fact, some of Jesus’ parting words to the apostles were: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you …” (Matthew 28:19-20) So, Jesus Himself sent His disciples out to teach, as we also read that they did all throughout the Acts of the Apostles. St. Paul instructs the bishop Timothy, too: “… the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent …” (2 Timothy 2:24-25), and we read also very specifically: “… if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20). So, as Paul encourages: “… preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2)

But to condemn another is not for us, as Paul mentions above; as is often said, today’s sinner may be tomorrow’s saint; e.g., Augustine and Francis of Assisi, the playboys who became some of the most famous saints of Christianity, or even St. Paul himself, who dragged Christians away in chains. What WE Christians have to be wary of is haughtiness and presumption. Again, St. Paul: “… you have no excuse … whoever you are, when you judge [re: condemn] another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things … Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3) So we pray ardently: “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!” (Psalm 19:13)

We Catholics are reminded this weekend (Oct. 1) in Mass of Jesus’ parable of the two sons—one who told his father “Yes”, but didn’t, and the one who said “No”, but afterward regretted, and did. (Matthew 21:28-32) In the parable is the lesson of repentance and hypocrisy, and of doing the good or simply giving it lip service. In this theme, we also read this weekend: “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die … Therefore I will judge you … every one according to his ways, says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 18:26-28, 30) Repentance brings life.

We pray often: “The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD.” (Psalm 25:9) But we are reassured that “… if we walk in the light, as [Christ] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin,” (1 John 1:7), and “… [Christ] was slain and by [His] blood did ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation …” (Revelation 5:9)

So, though the stain of regrets linger, we find much comfort that, for those who seek the Good, which God is: “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more,” (Hebrews 8:12) and “… though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land…” (Isaiah 1:18-19)

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.