There must be few of us to whom today's Gospel does not apply. How many of us can say that we never sit in judgement on others, that we never speak disparagingly of others? Gossiping is one of our favourite pastimes and it is done mostly in the absence of those we criticise. We don't have the courage to say things to a person's face. Yet, as Jesus says, we have no right to pass judgement on anyone because, so much of the time, we simply do not have all the facts nor can we enter into the mind of another person. And, as Jesus says, one of the reasons we knock people down is to lift ourselves up. While we are nitpickingly focusing on the trivial failings of others, we are actually trying to cover up our own much more serious shortcomings - of which behind-the-back bitching of others is one. On the other hand, we are often very slow to offer an objective appraisal of another person when asked. Let us take an honest look at ourselves and reflect on the content of our conversations with others. It usually says a lot more about ourselves than what we think we are saying about others.