• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

So quick to judge

January 23, 2020
By Suzanna Molino Singleton
Filed Under: Blog, Snippets of Faith

My annual January pet peeve is seeing houses with Christmas lights on and decorations up weeks past Christmas. Why do people do this? Is it laziness? Denial? Forgetfulness? Out of the country? No time? Too cold?We Singletons gladly and quickly “undecorate” just after New Year’s Day to put the house back in order and enjoy those 10 minutes of it looking uncluttered. Unlike some who enjoy keeping their decorations up throughout the liturgical season of Christmas, we don’t even wait for the Feast of the Epiphany or the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the official end to the Church’s Christmas season.

So there I go zipping through January being all judgy and snarky about seeing Christmas lights still lit at night on Jan. 20 and it makes me batty, which is ridiculous since other people’s houses and decisions truly are none of my beeswax.

And what happens on Jan. 21? I fly to our Florida house to spend a few months and the first thing I see as I’m unlocking the front door is a Christmas tree and star decoration adorning the outside wall, and a metal angel holding a Christmas tree hanging above our door.

Ooooops.

I walk into the foyer and a 4-foot tall white Santa Claus stares at me, perhaps judging me for not having put him away when I last left the house Dec. 13. On the foyer table is a small Christmas tree (thankfully unlit) with colored bulbs and a red star on top. Upstairs on the kitchen table is a Christmas centerpiece, and up one more flight of stairs I notice a small gingerbread tree.

Uh-oh. That annual pet peeve was just squelched bigtime. I quickly gather up everything, pack it in two big boxes still sitting in the upstairs hallway, and feel my elf ears flatten against my head.

What did my neighbors think of the lazy Mrs. Singleton for not taking down her Christmas decorations well into January? How many others were quick to judge me and my house as I had judged others? Isn’t that a Bible saying or something? Open judgy mouth – insert big foot. Wait, no, it goes, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”  (Matthew 7:1-5)

Allow me to translate: “Why do you see the wreath that is on your neighbor’s door, but do not notice the 4-foot Santa Claus that is in your own foyer?”

Merry Christmas – still!?

How often do we do this? We are so quick to judge others, then we find ourselves in the same predicament. We don’t have all of the information of the one we are judging, same as the ones perhaps judging me in Florida who didn’t realize I was in Maryland during Christmas.

No matter. We shouldn’t be judging anyone at all. For anything. At any time. Anywhere. For whatever reason we feel compelled to mouth off unfairly. After all, we are all mere humans who forget to undecorate sometimes.

Hmmmmm. I already know what my 2021 new year’s resolution should be – I shalt not judge others for however long they decide to keep up their Christmas decorations.

 

 

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Suzanna Molino Singleton

Suzanna Molino Singleton is a native Baltimorean and parishioner of St. Leo the Great Church in Little Italy. A former staff correspondent for the Catholic Review, she launched her "Snippets of Faith" blog for the Catholic Review in June 2018. Suzanna is the creator of a weekly e-column, SNIPPETS Inspiration (since 2006), and the author of eight books, including Italians in Baltimore; Baltimore's Little Italy: Heritage and History of The Neighborhood; and The Italian Immigrants' Daughter. Email Suzanna at suzannamolino@promotioncenterforlittleitaly.org.

View all posts from this author

Recent Commentary

A personal flyswatter and other gifts, hummus, and a new room (7 Quick Takes)

A Faith Lesson After a Power Outage

Chocolate birthday cake with 4 candles

My birthday festivities, a painting project, and spaghetti pizza for lunch (7 Quick Takes)

Just by showing up

Where is God on your family’s calendar?

Recent Local News

Young adults from Archdiocese of Baltimore invited to experience local and international World Youth Day events

Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomes new school leaders

RADIO INTERVIEW: Camp St. Vincent

Archbishop Lori decries Biden executive order, ‘continued promotion of abortion’

Archbishop Lori urges Congress to ‘seize hopeful moment,’ vote to protect life, common good

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Young adults from Archdiocese of Baltimore invited to experience local and international World Youth Day events
  • Overturning of Roe provides ‘chance to win fight for life,’ says top Knight
  • Desire for eternal youth is ‘delusional,’ pope says
  • Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomes new school leaders
  • Father Carl Kabat, a former Baltimore resident, spent 17 years in prison for anti-nuclear protests
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, pope tells young people
  • 5th Circuit urged to keep injunction in place on HHS transgender mandate
  • MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Predator’ prequel hunts for ‘Prey’
  • Cardinal Tomko, oldest member of College of Cardinals, dies at 98

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2022 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED