Fr. Paul Campbell’s article for Sept. 19

Am 8: 4-7            1 Tm 2: 1-8            Lk 16: 1-13

I suppose it is a human tendency to identify with the little guy.   So when I read the first lines of Sunday’s reading from Amos I felt pretty good.  Amos says “hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land”.  He proceeds to warn the people that the Lord will not forget the times when they have taken advantage of those who are less fortunate.  This helps me to feel better about the times I have been oppressed for now I know God will not forget.  The irony here is that I always seem to identify with the oppressed.  I never seem to view myself as an oppressor.  Yet that is what the scriptures challenge us to do. One of the ways we oppress others is by being judgmental. So the easy thing to say would be “Don’t be judgmental”.   Yet saying that to people today sounds naïve.  In reality we have to be judgmental.  There are those who try and sell us all sorts of things that will improve the quality of our lives.  Commercials have more and more fine print at the bottom of the screen and I am always amazed at how quickly the disclaimers at the end of an advertisement are mentioned.  So how can we avoid being judgmental?  I believe that we should be judgmental of things not people.  Sure, we can evaluate an object as to whether it meets the standards it says it does.  However we should not be judgmental of others. What does it mean when we say we know another human being?  We may know their name or where they are from but do we really know what there lives are like? Tabloid magazines exist to let the public know what is going on in a particular person’s life.  Yet, I fail to see how knowing an actress’s favorite color will tell me much about who she really is.  On a daily basis we know of people who show up late for activities or who don’t always look like they stepped out of a clothes catalogue.  What goes through our minds when we look at them?  Yes, we oppress people when we judge them.  Years ago I remember having a student in class who always seemed tired. I had my substance abuse theory and action plan ready to go until I asked him what was going on.  It seemed that his mother had died a few years before and his father worked nights. So he spent his time helping his three younger siblings after school and preparing dinner while taking care of the house.  In the morning he got up and prepared breakfast and lunches for the day then woke the others and got them ready for school.  I had the role book that showed his grades weren’t good and I saw the lack of energy in class but I really didn’t know what I was talking about.  There is arrogance in being judgmental and nothing is worse than religious arrogance.  There are some people who criticize the way people dress for liturgy while others mock the amount of money that some put in the collection basket.  Amos condemns those who go out of there way to observe all the religious laws of the day while oppressing their neighbors. As Roman Catholics we should be outraged at global injustice and oppression.  Yet we all need to change the ways we oppress others daily by being judgmental. How should we been seen by others?  Paul, in his letter to Timothy put it best.  “It is my wish, then, that in every place all should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.”