(Homily for February 23, 2017).
As a
little kid growing up back in the days, I still remember the very first scandal
I witnessed that shook my bone marrows. It was one I would never recover from. It
was a bright Monday afternoon. One of my teachers had given us a test the
previous Friday and I happened to score 100% but my teacher was not convinced anyone
could score that high without copying from the textbook. So on this Monday
afternoon, she took me to the staff room and decided to give me a different
test which I was to finish in her presence within the time she allotted.
While I was
sweating and cracking my brain, the teachers started discussing among
themselves. Not only did their noise distract me, the topic of their discussion
was way above my age; it seemed as if they forgot I was there or they felt I was
too young to understand. But honestly, by the time I left that staff room I became
convinced that none of them would go to heaven! Not just that, I recall how the
desire to see and explore what they were saying suddenly developed in me. Even
when my teacher later came to the classroom to congratulate me for scoring 100%
again, I had no reason to smile; something sacred had damaged in my moral
faculty.
Children are
fragile not only physically but spiritually. They easily believe whatever you
tell them, yet they are easily destroyed. If the foundation is faulty, how can
the building stand? The greatest evil anyone can ever commit is to show bad
example to children. By so doing, you are not just committing sin, you are also
guilty of murder; spiritual murder. Hence as Jesus said: “whoever causes one of
these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a
great millstone were hung round his neck and he thrown into the sea.”
To avoid
falling into this temptation of misleading the young, we must avoid sin at all
costs. If you condone sin at all, you never can tell when the little ones are around.
That is why Jesus goes further to say that if your hand, your eye or your foot causes
you to sin, pluck it off meaning we should never ever give room at all to sin. Believe
me, kids of today are way smarter than we think or assume. Back then in primary
school, I had a class mate who told me there is a way he can tune his
television at home and whatever is showing on their neighbours’ television sets
would begin to show on his. This was as far as the 90’s. Now, imagine what kids
of today can do.
Never
preach something to a kid which you yourself do not believe or practice. If we
are not what we claim to be, our kids are the first to find out. We are meant
to have salt in us, we are meant to show good example always and spread light continuously
whether or not anyone is watching. Don’t teach kids that stealing is bad when
stealing is your hobby. Don’t shout at them for not being truthful when right
in front of them you tell fat lies to their teachers at school to cover up for your
own laziness and irresponsibility. Don’t threaten them for being disrespectful
and rude to elders when all they see from you is how you talk down on authority
or insult your spouse. Children learn more than we expect and faster than we
think! Let us show good example.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, you showed good example by your life; teach me to do likewise.
Amen. St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr; Pray for us.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible
Study: Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10 and Mark 9:41-50).
Fr. Abu.
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