“Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Monday 11th Nov. 2024 – LUKE 17:1-6.
So, recently, just about 4 months ago in Memphis, Tennessee, a 12-year-old girl in Humboldt, Tennessee was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors say video shows her suffocating her 8-year-old cousin in a bunk bed they shared.
This incidence made news around the world. Some of us who heard it shuddered in bewilderment at how such a little child could have those kind of murderous tendencies.
This☝️is at the crux of the guilt enunciated by Christ in today’s teaching.
How did that little girl come up with such a terribly evil plan and still had the mind to execute it. Then, turn around to feign innocence.
It could be one of many reasons or even all. Yet all of them still come down to one and the same thing.
Could it be that she got exposed to such wild ideas from watching them in films. Of so, who made those films available to such a little child?
If the contents were in a film commensurate to her age, who could infuse such contents in a children video and who permitted and gave the approval for the children video with such contents to be circulated?
If she learnt such evil from her peers, how did those children also get exposed to such life enough to indoctrinate and radicalise another child’s innocence?
In today’ teaching, Christ says everyone caught in this chain of blame shares in the sin of that little girl.
It is just like the sin of abortion. The man who impregnated the woman and denied her, the parents who said no bustard child shall be raised in their house, the parents of the man who advised him to deny her, the friend who advised her to abort, the person who directed her to an abortion clinic, the medical personnel who performed the abortion, the friends and siblings who knew about the pregnancy and the plan to abort and didn’t advise against it. Every single one of them shares in the sin of that abortion.
Recently, with the monetization of contents on some social media platforms, some supposed influencers put up contents that mislead others to sin.
Only recently, one of such contents put out by a supposed influencer led to a young man ending it all.
Just like one of the contents put out by one who demonstrates on social media with empirical examples the knowledge of religion. He said our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not God. And he gathered over 2 million reactions from that content.
Anyone who sees such contents, knowing what he has known about this person, if they hence begin to doubt their faith in Christ Jesus, such post would be responsible.
It is however, possible that after leading others to sin and successfully cashing out, he would retreat back to his closet and ask God for forgiveness.
Nevertheless, those of us so blinded by hero-worship who go about sharing and forwarding contents by such people are equally guilty of leading others to sin.
Nonetheless, the good thing is that, for those of us so complicit, the Church has 2 beautiful confessional prayers that when prayed conscientiously may absolve us from such sins.
The prayers are the “Act of Contrition” and “The Confiteor.”
Notwithstanding the prayers, their efficacy is not guaranty when we wilfully sin with the hope of getting absolved.
Although, God is very merciful, nevertheless, none of us know when the whistle will sound on us. We must then, be ready at all times.
However, as Christ said, if we have faith as little as a mustard seed, we will be easily fazed by any of such disillusionment.
May God grant us the grace to permit His will to be realised in our life.
Have a fantastic day and a fulfilled week folks.
#SAINT_MARTIN_OF_TOURS! #Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo
11th Nov. 2024.