Jesus said to his disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Lk 17:1-6
Jesus reminds us that there is a big difference between things that cause sin and people that cause sin. As I mentioned yesterday, there are many avenues for us to be tempted. Skipping Mass for sports or entertainment, cell phones, not praying, Snap chat and other forms of social media, video games, popularity, beauty, and wealth or material goods. These material things are not evil in themselves, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,” Jesus says, but “woe to the one through whom they occur.” If someone is encouraging us not to go to Mass or won’t take us. If people are encouraging us to play sports on the weekend and not go to Mass. If people we communicate with on our cell phones are putting others down, being mean, boasting, worrying about who is popular and who is not, who has the most money or things, who is the prettiest. If people are putting down prayer, faith, and being religious. If people are making fun of others in Snap chat. If we are playing video games or watching Netflix for long hours and not praying or creating unhealthy sleeping habits which make us not want to pray or go to Church. Those people who place popularity over God and others and hurt other people. Those who worry about their looks so much they may put others down or create a false identity for themselves and lower their self-worth. Those who show off their material goods and woo them over others or make others feel bad because they don’t have something. Jesus takes those who cause sin very serious, “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard!” Most importantly, Jesus teaches us if someone has wronged us or tried to get us to sin, we must forgive them. Thank goodness, I am sure I tried to get someone to sin in my youth.
Today’s challenge: Be a person that leads others to Christ instead of to sin. Forgive as God always forgives you.
Be a servant, become a saint!
#Christian YOLO
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