Homily for Thursday 28th February 2019
_“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 around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” *(Mark 9:42-43)*_
Amongst the personal friends of Jesus, there was a particular group of persons that He treated with so much care and delicacy; a group that he always wanted around him and would rebuke those who tried to stop them from flocking around him. These special friends of Jesus were the little children.
Why was Jesus very concerned about the little ones? Simply put, children are the future. If you fail to properly educate one child at least morally, you literally destroy an entire generation. For Jesus, leading one child astray through bad example is such a grievous crime deserving of death by drowning with a millstone hung around one’s neck.
On the other hand, whatever good done to the little ones for the sake of Christ, (even if it is as little as a cup of water given to quench the child’s thirst), never goes unrewarded. In another passage, Jesus mentions that every child has a guardian angel who is always before God’s presence on that child’s behalf. (See Matthew 18:10).
Children are not only fragile, but they are also very fast learners. When you think a child does not understand what is happening or that he or she is too small to pick up a bad habit or behaviour, the child is most likely going to prove you wrong. Children are more intelligent and smarter than we think they are. They may look young but are very impressionable. Simply put, it is too easy to “spoil” a child; it is too easy to scandalize an innocent mind forever; it is too easy to commit the crime Jesus warns about above.
Most of us were destroyed as kids even unintentionally by adults who were “simply living their lives” and especially by adults who were hypocrites. Nothing affects a child’s sense of morality as much as telling him or her that so and so is bad only for the child to catch you doing it secretly. Children are very quick in detecting pretence because they have a very high level of curiosity; sometimes the mind of a child works like that of a police detective. In their quiet mode, they see things, they draw connections and they figure things very fast. Children always know when you are telling a lie and they learn to lie themselves when they discover you do not like the truth.
As the adage says, “you cannot give what you don’t have.” In truth, the only key to avoiding falling into the sin of scandalizing children is to completely avoid sin whether in secret or in open. If you are not hard on yourself with regards to sin, forcing children to be sinless will only lead to producing worse hypocrites than yourself. If you want your children to be saints, then be willing to cut off your hands and foot and pluck out your own eyes. You cannot afford to accommodate even the slightest occasion, person, habit or thing which you know often leads you to sin.
As our first reading from Sirach warns, do not take the mercy of God for granted. Do not think you can continue to eat your cake and still have it. Do not think certain sins are okay just because God is yet to give you a knock. Do not be so confident of God’s mercy that you continue to add sin to sin. The fact that God is merciful and slow to anger, slow to punishment does not mean that God does not eventually punish us severely for our sins. Coincidentally in today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus himself talking about hell, a place where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
Another key to avoiding being a source of scandal especially to the little ones is to set your priorities right. If your primary goal in life is to become rich and live in luxury, then be sure that sin shall reign as a master in your life. Hence Sirach tells us: “Do not set your heart on your wealth… do not follow the inclinations and desires of your heart…do not depend on dishonest wealth for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity (the day of judgment).
Sin is dangerous. Sin kills. Sin affects the young by killing their conscience. Sin happens when we allow it and when we focus only on material riches. Sin destroys. Avoid it at all costs and by so doing, you will avoid scandalizing the young.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, may your light shine through me and in me that I may not lead others astray whether knowingly or indirectly. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Sirach 5:1-10, Psalm 1 and Mark 9:41-50).
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