TO scandalize is to lead others to
sin. To be scandalized
is to fall into sin because of the sin of another. We should all try
to avoid one and the other. Thus, we should try our best to always
give good example to the others, in the tenor expressed by St. Paul
once: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11,1)
But in a world practically swamped with all kinds of
temptations, sins and scandals, we should also really learn how not to
be scandalized. Sins and scandals, if we are not careful, also beget
other sins and scandals. It’s in their DNA.
We start to be scandalized, for example, when we stay too
long in feeling bad when we see the mistakes, failures and sins of the
others. Of course, our spontaneous reaction when we see these negative
events is to feel bad, but to stay long there can lead us to fall into
sin.
That’s when we can start doubting God and his providence,
weakening our hope and falling into a state of sadness that is fraught
with dangers, or into discouragement and despair. Or we can start
thinking badly of the others, planning to make revenge or getting
back, or gossiping, etc.
Yes, sin and scandals, if not handled properly, can be
contagious and can spark an epidemic. That is why we need to be strong
even as we retain the sensitivity and simplicity of children.
St. Paul described this well when he said: “Do not be
children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be
mature.” (1 Cor 14,20) This is an echo of what Christ himself said:
“Be wise as serpents but innocent as doves.” (Mt 10,16)
If we have faith and are willing to accept the
consequences of our Christian faith, we can manage to blend together
these two apparently contrasting qualities. The secret is faith.
Without it, we may manage to have an appearance of that blend, but
sooner or later, we would end up falling into some kind of anomaly,
like schizophrenia. So, beware!
With faith, we would learn how to get dirty in this world,
which is unavoidable, but without staining or spoiling our mind and
heart, our conscience. We can simply be sport about everything in this
life, putting humor into things, but without losing our direction.
With faith, we would learn how to suffer the way Christ
and the saints suffered, but without losing hope. Rather, we would be
convinced that suffering is an integral part of our salvation and joy.
Yes, we really have to learn how to suffer and to be
patient. While it’s true that we can and should always try to avoid
problems and difficulties, we should also be ready to bear them when
they would come our way, fully convinced of their redemptive value.
For this, we simply have to look at Christ, at our Lady
and all saints who always find suffering as the way to our redemption.
We have to realize that no matter what we do, we cannot avoid
suffering and death.
The secret is simply to identify ourselves more and more
with Christ. This way, we can reprise in ourselves what Christ himself
did in the face of his passion and death—simply believing and
following the Father’s will: “Not my will but yours be done.”
This, of course, will require a deep act of faith. But
with God’s grace, this is very doable. We can learn to acquire the
proper attitude and skill in dealing with our earthly suffering that
is due to sin.
This is how we can become invincible to the destructive
effects of the temptations, sins and scandals around us. When we learn
to suffer the way Christ suffered, not only can we bear the effects of
sin. We would be willing to suffer more to cover more sins of this
world, and to cooperate more intimately in the continuing redemptive
work of Christ who counts on us.
Our attitude and reaction to temptations, sin and scandals
would be based on the spiritual and the supernatural. That way, we put
the whole phenomenon of human suffering in its proper context and
perspective.
So to bear suffering well and thus learn how not to be
scandalized, we need to pray. We need to have recourse of the
sacraments. We need to train ourselves in the ways of self-denial,
mortification and sacrifice and the development of virtues. We need to
deepen our faith by studying and assimilating well the doctrine of our
faith.
is to fall into sin because of the sin of another. We should all try
to avoid one and the other. Thus, we should try our best to always
give good example to the others, in the tenor expressed by St. Paul
once: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11,1)
But in a world practically swamped with all kinds of
temptations, sins and scandals, we should also really learn how not to
be scandalized. Sins and scandals, if we are not careful, also beget
other sins and scandals. It’s in their DNA.
We start to be scandalized, for example, when we stay too
long in feeling bad when we see the mistakes, failures and sins of the
others. Of course, our spontaneous reaction when we see these negative
events is to feel bad, but to stay long there can lead us to fall into
sin.
That’s when we can start doubting God and his providence,
weakening our hope and falling into a state of sadness that is fraught
with dangers, or into discouragement and despair. Or we can start
thinking badly of the others, planning to make revenge or getting
back, or gossiping, etc.
Yes, sin and scandals, if not handled properly, can be
contagious and can spark an epidemic. That is why we need to be strong
even as we retain the sensitivity and simplicity of children.
St. Paul described this well when he said: “Do not be
children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be
mature.” (1 Cor 14,20) This is an echo of what Christ himself said:
“Be wise as serpents but innocent as doves.” (Mt 10,16)
If we have faith and are willing to accept the
consequences of our Christian faith, we can manage to blend together
these two apparently contrasting qualities. The secret is faith.
Without it, we may manage to have an appearance of that blend, but
sooner or later, we would end up falling into some kind of anomaly,
like schizophrenia. So, beware!
With faith, we would learn how to get dirty in this world,
which is unavoidable, but without staining or spoiling our mind and
heart, our conscience. We can simply be sport about everything in this
life, putting humor into things, but without losing our direction.
With faith, we would learn how to suffer the way Christ
and the saints suffered, but without losing hope. Rather, we would be
convinced that suffering is an integral part of our salvation and joy.
Yes, we really have to learn how to suffer and to be
patient. While it’s true that we can and should always try to avoid
problems and difficulties, we should also be ready to bear them when
they would come our way, fully convinced of their redemptive value.
For this, we simply have to look at Christ, at our Lady
and all saints who always find suffering as the way to our redemption.
We have to realize that no matter what we do, we cannot avoid
suffering and death.
The secret is simply to identify ourselves more and more
with Christ. This way, we can reprise in ourselves what Christ himself
did in the face of his passion and death—simply believing and
following the Father’s will: “Not my will but yours be done.”
This, of course, will require a deep act of faith. But
with God’s grace, this is very doable. We can learn to acquire the
proper attitude and skill in dealing with our earthly suffering that
is due to sin.
This is how we can become invincible to the destructive
effects of the temptations, sins and scandals around us. When we learn
to suffer the way Christ suffered, not only can we bear the effects of
sin. We would be willing to suffer more to cover more sins of this
world, and to cooperate more intimately in the continuing redemptive
work of Christ who counts on us.
Our attitude and reaction to temptations, sin and scandals
would be based on the spiritual and the supernatural. That way, we put
the whole phenomenon of human suffering in its proper context and
perspective.
So to bear suffering well and thus learn how not to be
scandalized, we need to pray. We need to have recourse of the
sacraments. We need to train ourselves in the ways of self-denial,
mortification and sacrifice and the development of virtues. We need to
deepen our faith by studying and assimilating well the doctrine of our
faith.
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