Things that cause sin will occur

11 NOVEMBER (Lk 17,1-6)

The most beautiful story about an avoided, not committed scandal, is the one told by the second book of Maccabees. Eleazar feigning could have saved his life. He prefers martyrdom in order not giving scandal to the younger people. These would have been led into error by his fiction. They would have also denied the Law.

Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork. But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture, as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life. Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king; in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him. But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining: “At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion. Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age. Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age, and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.” He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture. Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness. When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: “The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him.” This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation (2Mac 6,18-31).

The scandal is an action, word, way of acting, operating not in accordance with the Holy Law of God, of his Gospel, lived before the pagans or those who are still small and fragile in their faith. Exemplariness is the greatest teaching force. The other person learns by seeing, hearing and attending. If our action is not holy, the other will think that he can also accomplish it. It is made by an adult, by a person that he considers his true master.

He said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person 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.

A truth must be established firmly. As soon as the other person sees us, observes us and looks at us, he turns his eyes upon us. We can fool him with the words, but never with our behavior. This is fixed in his mind, reaches his heart, arrives to his intelligence, and in an instant he makes a clear picture of us. As we impressed him, that is how he will see us forever. This first image remains indelible in his memory. For this reason we are asked to put any attention to even the smallest things we do. With them we could scandalize one of our brothers. We could drive him away from the way of salvation.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints help us grow in holiness.