A Loving Reflection

Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Luke 6:36 Years ago at crowded bonfire, I made a friend. We stood next to the fire chatting, our faces lit with love as we discovered our shared interests and joys. While we spoke, someone rook a photo. I later showed the photo to my new friend, who wrote caption for it. “Friends hold a mirror up to each other”-Aristotle Friendships like this reveal a pattern: As friends grow to know and love the other, the friends begin to imitate each other subtle and significant ways. Today’s readings invite us to consider how we see God and how God sees us. Is Christ a friend, holding out a mirror? Does friendship with Christ help us know mercy and compassion? I know that judgment and condemnation are not the response that Jesus has for my name and sorrow. I also know that condemnation is not what others need from me; they need to see a reflection of God’s love, a friend. Sr. Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.