Devotion for today: Have a just and reasonable mind

Scripture for meditation: Proverbs 3:27-34
Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once. Plot no evil against your neighbor, against him who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways: to the Lord the perverse man is an abomination, but with the upright is His friendship. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just He blesses; When He is dealing with the arrogant, He is stern, but to the the humble He shows kindness.

Christ tells us: Luke 10: 25-28
On one occasion a lawyer stood up to pose Him this problem: "Teacher what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" Jesus answered him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as your self." Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live."

St. Francis de Sales tells us:  An Introduction to the Devout Life
Always be impartial and just in your deeds. Put yourself into your neighbor's place, and him in yours, and then you will judge fairly. When you buy, act as though you were the seller, and when you sell act as though you were the buyer, and you will buy and sell with justice. These acts of injustice seem small, because they do not demand restitution, as we only seek our own advantage to the utmost limit of honesty. But, nevertheless, they require correction, for after all they are but cheating tricks, and offend against reason and charity, and no one ever lost anything by generosity, honor and courtesy, which are the fruits of a noble, upright, straightforward heart. Frequently, therefore, examine your heart, whether it is so disposed towards your neighbor, as you would have his disposed towards you, were you to change places; for this is the true test.

Prayer: Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

My thoughts: It is easy to look white when we compare ourselves to black.  It is easy to look white when we compare ourselves to gray.  When we compare ourselves to true white, however, we come out looking pretty dingy. God is the only pure white standard, and it is to Him that we must always draw our comparisons. We justify our behavior toward our fellow man by degrees of evil.  It isn't so bad, it isn't that unreasonable; it isn't really unfair; he'll get over it; I just needed to do what was best for me and my family, and so on.  We say these things, think these things a million times a day, yet Christ tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  How can we, when we seek to find fault in little things, but excuse ourselves in big matters, when we demand justice from others, but find mercy toward our own wrongdoings, when we think so highly of what we do for others, but barely recognize what they do for us. To love God is to love ourselves, and to love ourselves fairly, we must pause and study how we love others.  It must be with one heart bent on reason, justice, mercy and love.

Your prayer to God: Today is the day to stop our "cheating tricks" and come clean with ourselves. How many times do we justify our behavior while condeming the behavior of others?  Ask God for forgiveness for all the times you let your immediate wants and needs block you from fair behavior toward your family, friends and co-workers. Say the St. Francis prayer, remembering that we were placed on the earth to serve, and not to be served. Then remember how much God loves you and forgives you. He will fill you with the grace to begin again on the path of reason and justice.