August 09, 2019
(April 7, 2019) Lectionary: 36
by Thomas Gette
Adults: Have you ever been too willing to “cast the first stone” when you disapprove of someone’s behavior? How can you resist these feelings?
Children: When have you criticized or made fun of someone? What could help you act differently?
Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, when two very different men went in to the temple to pray? Scripture says that Jesus told the parable to those who believed themselves righteous and who treated others with contempt.
The Pharisee in that story was thoroughly convinced of his righteousness; he followed all the rules of piety and devotion and, on the exterior, was a “holy” person, but in his heart there was pride and arrogance. He believed himself better than the tax collector, casting judgement upon him. The tax collector, on the other hand, came to God from a place deep in his heart, full of authentic repentance for his sins.
Jesus warns about this type of behavior because it is detracts from the fact that we are all sinners. When we adopt the attitude of the Pharisee, and become the type to “cast the first stone,” we become blind to our own faults and become quick to notice all that is wrong in everyone else around us. It is important that we avoid the “at least I don’t do that” type of attitude in regards to our faults and sins.
An effective antidote, then, is to begin a regular habit of an examination of conscience, a time set aside in the presence of God when we reflect on how often our relationships with God and others has been broken by our own choices and behaviors. The more we reflect interiorly, the harder it will be to become so fixated on “what’s wrong with everyone else.”
We may also avail ourselves of the great Sacrament of Reconciliation to gain the strength to overcome our faults. The more we are authentically aware of our place before God, the more we will be able to empathize with those around us, instead of identifying them with their behavior or their sins.
Therefore, let us avoid the temptation to “cast the first stone,” which only causes a rift in our relationship with God, and reflect seriously upon the words of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees who sought to stone the woman found guilty of adultery: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone.”
Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.