Commentary for today

This Gospel passage moves between scandal and faith. So let me say something about both.

When we think of scandal, we usually think of someone whose public behavior doesn’t match what’s expected of them. A politician found to be corrupt causes a public scandal. A priest who sins and fails in his mission to serve the community shocks us. But people like that have always existed—and always will—both in society and in the Church. To be honest, that kind of thing doesn’t really shock me anymore.

What truly shocks me is when I meet a devout Christian—someone who goes to Mass every day, you know what I mean—who can’t forgive, who is so rigid that when they speak, they accuse and condemn anyone who doesn’t think exactly like them.

Let me explain: that bad people do bad things is expected. Thieves steal; the corrupt corrupt. In a way, that’s normal, even logical. The real tragedy is when the “good” become corrupt—when, in the name of virtue and love for God, they end up doing what God himself would never do: condemn others.

So here’s the conclusion: let’s try not to cause scandal to anyone. If we follow Jesus, it’s to make his love, mercy, brotherhood, justice, and care for the poor and marginalized visible in our world. Doing the opposite is, in fact, the real scandal.

Doing the opposite shows that our faith isn’t truly genuine—that maybe we’ve put our own ideas above God himself. Like the disciples, we must ask the Lord to increase and purify our faith. Not so we can command trees to move or do impossible things, but so that our hearts may be filled with God’s love and bring that love to those around us. That’s far more useful—for us and for the Kingdom.