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When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and
authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or
about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at
that moment what you should say.” Luke 12:11–12
Jesus lived this Gospel passage in His own life to perfection. He
was arrested, interrogated, falsely condemned and questioned by the
Chief Priest, Herod and Pontius Pilate. During His interrogations,
sometimes He spoke and at other times He remained silent. In
preparation for these interrogations, Jesus did not study each
ruler ahead of time, trying to figure out what He should say and
not say. He did not prepare a defense but relied upon His perfect
union with the Holy Spirit and with the Father to be led at every
moment in His human nature.
Though it may be unlikely that you will be arrested for your faith
and put on trial for being Christian by the civil authorities, it
is possible that you will experience various other forms of
interrogation and condemnation at times during which you are
challenged to respond. And more likely, if you are judged by
another, you may be tempted to defend yourself in anger, attacking
back.
This Gospel passage, when clearly understood and lived, should have
the effect of calming you and reassuring you during any and every
experience of judgment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
states that “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to
interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and
deeds in a favorable way” (# 2478). And though you must always
strive to do this yourself, there will most likely be times when
others do not act in this careful and truthful way toward you.
Thus, if you are judged by another, even if what they say has truth
to it, it is important that you not react with defensiveness and
anger, unless the Holy Spirit has unmistakably led you to do so.
The key message Jesus gives is that you must trust that the Holy
Spirit will always lead you as you humbly and continually seek to
follow His every prompting. This is only possible if you have built
a firm habit of attentiveness to the Voice of God within your
conscience.
Because the experience of rash judgment, detraction, calumny and
the like are painful to encounter, you must prepare your defense
ahead of time by learning to only rely upon the Holy Spirit in all
things. Jesus exhorts us to do so! Therefore, if you daily and
humbly seek to fulfill God’s will, hear His voice, and respond with
generosity, then you can be certain that when the time comes and
you experience these forms of judgment, you will be ready. The Holy
Spirit will speak to you, inspire you, console you and give you
every grace you need to respond in accord with God’s will. Do not
doubt this. Have faith and confidence in these words and this
promise of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon the ways that you have responded in the past
to the judgment of another. Try to call to mind specific moments
when this has happened. Did you respond with similar judgments?
Were you filled with anger? Did you brood over injury? Did you lose
your peace of heart? If you have fallen into these temptations,
then commit yourself in faith to believe what Jesus says today.
Trust Him. Trust that He will be with you in those difficult
moments in the future and pray that you will be graced to respond
only as the Holy Spirit directs you.
My innocent Lord, You were put on trial, judged and falsely
condemned. Yet in all of that, You were the Innocent Lamb Who
always loved and spoke truth with perfection. When I experience
judgment in my life, please fill me with peace of heart and trust
in Your promise that the Holy Spirit will be with me, inspiring me
and leading me in accord with Your perfect will. Holy Spirit, I
abandon myself to You now and always. Jesus, I trust in
You.
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catholic-daily-reflections.com
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Featured image above: Christ in front of Pilate
by Mihály Munkácsy, via Wikimedia Commons
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