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 b) False  suspicions  and  rash  judgments. “Judge  not!”  says  our  Lord. We  cannot  judge  rightly,  not  being  omniscient  and  able  to  search  our neighbour’s  heart.  We  ought,  therefore,  to  judge  others  most  tenderly and  indulgently,  and  never  even  suspect  evil  of  them  without  the  most conclusive  proofs.  Still  less  ought  we  to  condemn  them,  and  without sufficient  reason  to  take  for  granted  that  the  supposed  evil  is  a fact.

Venial sin  and  mortal  sin. By  the  distinction  which  our  Lord  draws between “motes”  and  “beams”,  He  teaches  us  that  there  is  a great difference between  one  kind  of  sin  and  another.

The reward  of  heaven  is  exceeding  great. “Good measure  pressed down, and  shaken  together,  and  running  over  shall  they  give  unto  you” (Luke 6,  38). God will  not  be  sparing,  but  generous  in  His  rewards.

Degrees of  happiness  in  heaven. The  more  a man  measures,  the more will  be  measured  to  him,  i.  e the  more  good  a man  does  on earth,  the  higher  will  be  his  reward  in  heaven.

Do not  our  Lord’s  words  about  the  mote  and the beam  smite  your  own  conscience? You know  the  faults  of others  much  better  than  you  know  your  own,  and  you  judge  them severely, while  you  excuse  yourself. The Saints  did  just  the  contrary: they  were  severe  to  themselves,  and  indulgent  to  others. Guard against  uncharitable  judgments  and  conversations.

Enter ye  in  at  the  narrow  gate:  for  wide  is  the  gate,  and broad is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruction, and  many  there  are who go  in  thereat. How narrow  is  the  gate  and  strait  is  the  way that leadeth  to  life,  and  few  there  are  that  find  it!

The road  to  heaven  and  the  road  to  hell. The  narrow,  up-hill  road, entrance to  which  is  gained  through  a strait  gate,  signifies  walking  in the  way  of  God’s  commandments,  which  restrain  our  desires  and  passions, but  which  must  be  obeyed  unless  we  would  stray  from  the  road to heaven. It costs  much  effort,  watchfulness  and  self-denial  to  observe the commandments  and  not  to  stumble  in  the  narrow  way,  or,  if  we stray  from  the  road,  to  return  to  it  by  true  penance! For this  reason our Lord  says  in  another  passage:  “The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth