Episode Transcript  

One

Judgement 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.” (Matthew 7:1–2) In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus immediately adds: “Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” (Luke 6:37) What does Jesus really mean?

Prudence is the art of making good decisions. It involves three steps:

1. Deliberate — Gather the facts and weigh your options.

2. Judge and Choose — Discern what is right and resolve to do it.

3. Act — Carry out the decision with firmness and follow-through.

God created our intellect to judge reality rightly. We must judge ideas or moral positions, statements, and teachings of morality, what is true or false, right or wrong, good or evil. We must judge actions, which behaviors are right and which are wrong. These judgments are necessary to live according to truth and to make good decisions. But we cannot judge the interior state of persons, we are not to declare someone as evil or condemn their soul. Only God knows the heart and sees the full truth of every person’s freedom, intention, and culpability.

Jesus is not forbidding us from using reason to distinguish right from wrong. What He forbids is condemning persons, assigning guilt as if we were God Himself. In short: Judge truthfully. Condemn no one. Leave the final judgment to God.

Two

The Beam and Splinter  

Jesus said, “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, "Let me take the splinter out of your eye", when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.”

Pride makes us blind to our own sin and moral defect. Humility makes us see. Here is a step-by-step process to see clearly.

Step one: Place yourself in God’s presence. Begin with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you your sins. Entrust yourself to Mary, Mirror of Justice, to help you see without self-deception.

Step two: Begin by reviewing the Ten Commandments and Precepts of the Church to name clear external sins:

1. I am the Lord your God. (Where have I placed my security or happiness in money, success, health, or others’ opinions? Pride seeks self-sufficiency.)

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (Do I curse, use God’s name carelessly, or invoke it to justify my will? Do I take His name in anger or anxiety?)

3. Keep holy the Sabbath. (Have I missed Sunday Mass? Do I treat Sunday as God’s gift of rest, or use it to catch up, consume, or escape?)

4. Honor your father and mother. (Do I honor authority, my parents, the Church, leaders? Pride resists correction; anger rebels. Do I speak respectfully? Care for aging parents?)

5. You shall not kill. (Do I harbor anger, grudges, or resentments? Pride refuses forgiveness. Do I damage reputations through gossip or calumny? (Matt 5:22)

6. You shall not commit adultery. (Have I failed to live Christ’s teaching on marriage, divorce, and the Church’s moral teaching on sexuality and reproduction?)

7. You shall not steal. (Do I take what isn’t mine, time, credit, goods, attention? Greed, pride, envy, and sloth fuel dishonesty.)

8. You shall not bear false witness. (Do I lie, exaggerate, gossip, or manipulate truth? Do I distort truth for self-protection or harm?)

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. (Have I committed sins of impurity or lust?)

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. (Do I envy others’ success, wealth, talents, or blessings?)

Three

Step Three — Move to Patterns (Intermediate Level)

After identifying external actions, begin looking for recurring patterns. Ask: What situations do I repeatedly fall into? Where are my relationships strained? Where do I consistently feel anger, resentment, anxiety, or shame? Look for habits that reveal deeper dispositions: I often criticize others, I lose patience with family, I worry obsessively about money, I avoid difficult conversations out of fear. 

These patterns expose not just isolated acts, but habitual ways of thinking, reacting, and relating. It is here that sin becomes entrenched and self-perpetuating, often feeding the same interior roots. Seeing patterns is essential for deeper healing because patterns show where my soul resists grace in daily life.

Four

Step Four — Trace to Root Vices (Capital Sins Level)

Now, take each pattern and ask: Which capital vice is driving this? 

Pride shows itself whenever I place myself above God, rely on myself instead of His grace, or defend my ego rather than seek truth. It takes many subtle forms: fear of being seen as weak, needing to always be right, refusing to forgive because “they don't deserve it,” resisting correction, craving control, perfectionism, self-importance, and refusal to admit fault. 

Vanity, as a daughter of pride, appears in the craving for praise, approval, attention, admiration, and fear of losing reputation. Envy manifests as resentment toward others’ success and an inability to rejoice in their good. Wrath (Anger) surfaces in outbursts, internal rage, and slow-burning resentment. Sloth (Acedia) hides in avoidance, procrastination, spiritual laziness, and lukewarm prayer. Greed (Avarice) drives excessive concern for money, possessions, and status. Gluttony expresses itself through overindulgence in food, drink, entertainment, and distractions. Lust takes the form of disordered sexual thoughts, desires, and behaviors.

Every sin, pattern, or disorder can be traced to one or often several of these roots.

Five

Confession 

Now the Holy Spirit has prepared you to receive the healing, forgiveness, and grace that can only come from Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

The catechism explains the benefits of regular confession (1496), “When we go to Confession, Jesus forgives our sins and removes the guilt that separates us from God, restoring our friendship with Him.”

He also repairs the damage our sins have caused to others and to the Church, bringing us back fully into His family. If we have committed mortal sins, Confession removes that eternal consequence, restores God’s divine life to our soul, and opens Heaven to us again. After Confession, we often feel lighter because the weight of guilt is lifted. We experience peace, relief, and the deep joy of knowing we are right with God. But Confession doesn’t just deal with the past, it also strengthens us to resist future sin and grow in holiness through God’s grace.

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• Following the steps above, make a thorough examination of conscience. Then schedule a time to go to Confession.

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