At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. At the end of the Sermon Jesus said, “Stop judging, lest you be judged.” The ability to judge makes us human. We judge what is good or bad. We judge should I do this or do that. What Jesus warns us against is imagining that we can judge what is another person’s heart. That kind of judgment is reserved for God alone. However, the admonition of the Lord suggests that we can judge ourselves. We can judge whether we are making progess in the spiritual life or have settled into a rut. The Vatican Council reminded us that we are called to holiness.
