IMAGE: CNS photo/Vatican Media

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — 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," the pope said.

"What measure do I use to measure others? What do I use to measure myself? A generous measure, full of God’s love?" the pope asked. "I will be judged according to that measure and no other, precisely the one I use."

"We must think about this," the pope said. 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."

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