Reflection Starter

Today's "Daily Inspiration from the Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude":

"One of the great traps in a person’s life is the perception of being a perfect person and being the best, superior to others. Both of these aspects of exaggerated self are deadly and are the type of attitudes Jesus found most difficult to tolerate.

"Most of us have an idea of a perfect person. Some think that 'they are it.' There is no such thing as a perfect man or woman. There are many wonderful people but no one is perfect, nor are you. Accept the candid fact: that you are not the best and you will never achieve perfection. You are part of the world; you do not own it. All of us are together and are struggling to shape our lives. You and I are not the only persons on this planet. 'Judge not and you shall not be judged.' Therefore, each of us must keep an open mind in seeing our relative shortcomings and careful what we say or do toward others. While it is only fair and honest to acknowledge one’s gifts, a balance must be kept. This realization is one that Jesus held highly and a guide to how to live charitably. We are not to judge. In every day life, we need to quit putting people down or calling them derogatory names like gay, weird, stupid."

- Father Robert, O.P.