One of the unspoken rules of behavior is never to say mean things to other people. In extreme, it’s called bullying. It is OK to disagree with someone else’s opinion, but not to criticize them personally. It is uncomfortable, for example, for someone-anyone- calling someone else “stupid”.

In Congress, it is against the rules to ever speak directly to someone else. One says, for example, the honorable senator’s facts are wrong. One does not say, “You are a liar.” If someone talks about another person in a humiliating way, the Presiding Office can ask the offending person to leave the room.

St. Paul has left us a number of letters in which he sometimes expresses his frustration. But he does so because he cares deeply for his communities. Once in a while, he gets angry but usually with other church leaders.

In today’s first reading, he writes to encourage his “brothers and sisters.” He tells them he gives thanks to God for them “unceasingly.” Occasionally, he slips and goes after his critics, of whom he had a considerable number. Enough people disliked him to eventually have him arrested and executed.

We are certain that Christ told us to love even our enemies and one of his last words was to ask The Father to forgive those who killed him.

At the same time, there is one group of people whom Jesus criticized very strongly. That group are people whom he calls “hypocrites.” It is his strongest criticism.

The example Jesus gives are those who pretend to be holy, but are really wicked people. He says their insides are full of “every kind of filth.” In the second instance of today’s gospel, he calls certain people no better than their ancestors who murdered the prophets. Strong words.

It’s not that Jesus had not tried to teach about mercy, love and forgiveness. But some people have a tough time accepting both themselves and others as worthy of forgiveness.

It’s actually superhuman to forgive people who have hurt us. As with most people, I was deeply moved when the relatives of those killed at a Church Leadership this summer (in Charleston, S.C.) forgave the killer of their loved ones.

One usually hears about people ask for justice-another word for revenge- when they have been harmed. It Is God’s job to give out ultimate justice not ours.

I feel for someone who thinks all kinds of people are going to hell for all kinds of reasons. This person, of course, does not think they are going to hell.

Well, I think this person will find heaven a pretty lonely existence when they find out they are the only person there. Everyone else will be somewhere else.

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