Daily Gospel Reflection for March 2, 2026

Having taught college film and coached high school swimming, I know a class or a team succeeds best when a leader offers constructive correction and the group members can receive that correction. One year while assistant coaching high school girls swimming, the head coach and I marveled at how our favorite swimmer (yes, we had favorites) would accept minute tweaks to her stroke, fix it, and glide faster through the water as a result. With the other young swimmers? Let’s say it was a slog convincing them to break old habits.

 

The spiritual life often doesn’t work the same way, especially if this means encompassing the moral life. We make our choices and they’re not always the most prudent ones, but, nonetheless, we don’t want those decisions to be judged by others. And unless it’s the case of parenting children, those that fall outside of our rearing purview, we’re hesitant to judge and offer advice in amending their lives. When it comes to the moral life, Jesus points us to the charism of mercy. Of becoming people quick to offer mercy and willing to receive it as well. Personally, I’ll rarely know why people make the questionable decisions they do. In the meantime, though, I try to be a person of mercy.

 

A work colleague of mine once recounted his previous ill health and near brush with death. While he had confidence his faith in our Lord would save him, in the event of his return to health, he vowed in his words “to grow in the capacity to offer and receive mercy.” I’m happy to report his physical health has been restored and, more important, he’s matured into a person of mercy that our Lord calls us to in today’s Gospel.

Lord, today I will not pass judgement on another. I will offer and receive mercy.