Wallet and Cell phone

By Greg Zambrano 

One sunny day, the kids and I were outside the house. My oldest daughter asked if it is ok to judge others, to judge sinners and people who are in great mortal sin and don’t seem to care about coming home to Christ.

Right away, I thought she needed accurate information and direction from her dad. My idea was to teach her – with physical objects – so it could be easier to understand.

Remembering how she and her sister would play with toys, I thought I would try a similar approach. All I could come up with was my wallet and cell phone that were in my pockets.

I told her that my cell phone was the person, and my wallet was the person’s sins or bad habits. Placing them side by side, I said that God loves the person dearly, but detests sins.

While on earth, we are not seen as one with our sins by God. He calls us to repent and, in our time of visitation, it is our hour of great mercy.

This means that while we are alive can we learn to overcome our sins with help mainly through the sacrament of penance.

We are shaped like clay before death. After death, we are placed in a furnace and who we are is set, solid and cannot change.

I further explained that we receive pardon from sins here on earth. I remembered Mark 2:17 when Jesus spoke to the scribes, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Staying clear of bad habits and bad behavior is always a prudent choice. But, let’s also pray for each other to listen to Christ calling us home.