Here is my homily from this morning’s Mass.
We have St. Paul warning us today about creating scandal among those whose faith is weak. Why is it that faithful Catholics are a cause of scandal among those who do not believe?
We here present this morning believe that God sent his only Son into the world, and that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, that Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity, that he is a divine person who has two natures: human and divine. We believe that he was sent into the world to redeem it, to redeem us, that he died and rose again from the grave and now sits at the right hand of the Father while still remaining with us here on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit who has been infused into our souls.
Yes, we believe this; we have this “knowledge” as St. Paul says today in the reading.
Why, then, do we cause scandal to the weak of faith?
Perhaps it is because faith requires action. Faith without works is dead and scandelous.
Perhaps, as we heard in the Gospel, we want to be forgiven, but we fail to forgive.
Perhaps it is because we do not want to be condemned, yet we condemn others.
Perhaps it is because we do not want to be judged harshly, yet we harshly judge others.
Perhaps it is because we want to be given to in our need, but we fail to give to others in their needs.
Yes, our faith demands action. If we truly believe, we must stop condemning, judging, hoarding and failing to forgive.
My friends, Jesus is among us, even in the lives of the unbelievers. We must not sin against Jesus. We must not condemn, judge, accuse, or withhold from Him by doing so with the person in our midst.
