Come Holy Spirit
In a nutshell: Live passionately not for this world,
but for the world to come.
We hear some Cautionary words in our readings today:
St. James lays the smack down on those
who use wealth as a means of lording their authority over people – withholding
wages, living in opulent luxury while their workers struggle to make ends meet.
Gospel tells two stories. One about an outsider who acts as an insider
(a guy who, though not a follower of the apostles is casting out demons in the
name of Jesus) and second story about the true threat of a person, who from
within the believing community, causes a “little one,” that is, anyone who has
humbled him or herself to follow the Lord, to sin. Basically posing the scenario – what’s worse
. . . to be a wannabe or to create scandal?
Let’s pause on that word for a
second…scandal. We hear it all the
time. But what does it actually mean?
Scandal – an attitude or behavior which
leads another to do evil. The person who
gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter.
He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into
spiritual death. Scandal is a grave
offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense
(CCC 2284).
The catechism goes on to say that
scandal is made more egregious when committed by someone in authority, someone
who is trusted with more responsibility and then abuses or otherwise misuses
that responsibility. Some timely
examples would be clergy who forsake their promises of chastity and obedience,
causing people to sin, leading them into error, and hurting already wounded
souls; or Catholic politicians who tout their faith before the cameras, then
betray the precepts of the Lord in their policy, leading to confusion among the
faithful and division within the Church.
Jesus says that it’s better for us to
have a millstone tied to our necks and we be thrown headlong into the sea than
to lead another person into sin. He
tells us today that if there is a member of our body, both our physical body or
our collective communion, that is causing us to sin, CUT IT OFF!
Now, to be sure and clear, this is an
example of literary hyperbole, intended exaggeration to draw out a point, a
truth. And that point, that truth is
this: it IS, in fact, better to enter heaven with battle wounds than to burn in
hell with a perfectly chiseled body and a million friends on facebook.
This is solid spiritual direction here,
straight from the giver of the Spirit!
If there is something that causes you to sin, get rid of it! If a person is scandalous, that is, leading you
directly or indirectly into sin, shut them down!
Brothers and sisters, live passionately
your discipleship in the Lord Jesus.
This world is transitory and we were made for infinity. The spirit of the world, the flesh, and the
ancient enemy all want to create division in the Body of Christ, to sow the
seeds of doubt and despair. Take real
action against the sins or the patterns of sin in your life. Shut down the voices that lead to division,
cut off the power to the devices that lead to sin.
The Spirit of Truth will lead you to
all truth, and the truth will set you free.
Truth is what binds us together. Listen to the voice of Truth, the one voice
that really matters: the voice of the Lord, the voice that unifies, the voice
that inspires, the voice that challenges complacency, the voice that rebukes
the enemy and calls out lies, the voice that encourages, the voice that builds
up and fills us with meaning. Live
passionately for this voice.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment