The Gospel clearly states that God will judge people the same way they have judged others throughout their lives, so it is best to learn humility and begin showing compassion to others now, Pope Francis said.
Those who strive to model their lives after Jesus, especially in the way they judge others, will be judged by God "with much, much, much pity, with much compassion and with much mercy," the Pope said Jan. 30 in his homily at morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
The day's Gospel reading from Mark included Jesus telling the disciples: "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
The Gospel of St. Matthew tells people what they must do for salvation – feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger – but the line from Mark 4:24 tells Christians "how we must live," said the Pope.
"What measure do I use to measure others? What do I use to measure myself? A generous measure, full of God's love?" he continued. "I will be judged according to that measure and no other, precisely the one I use.
"We must think about this: the measure God will use to judge is seen not so much in the good things we do or in the bad ones, but in how we live our lives."
A key part of following Jesus, he said, is a willingness to endure humiliation, to put others first and to not claim a place of honor, even if it is deserved. That's what Jesus did. "He was God, but he didn't cling to that; he humbled himself. This is the model."
To the Christian who is unable to endure humiliation, the Pope reiterated: "Something is missing."
He explained that Jesus annihilated himself until death and death on the cross. "He was God but did not cling to that: he annihilated himself." This, the Pope concluded, is the model to follow.
So as an example of a lifestyle called "worldly" and unable to follow the model of Jesus, Pope Francis cited the "complaints" that the bishops report to him when they have difficulty transferring priests to parishes because they are considered "inferior" and not a step up as they would like and therefore they view the transfer as a punishment.
So here is how to recognise the Christian approach to life, by a person's behaviour taken in front of humiliations.
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