Cut it Out!
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48 - At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Jesus is using drastic examples in the Gospel to talk about the seriousness with which we should avoid sin. If we suspect that Jesus isn’t literally suggesting that we cut off a limb to avoid a sin, then we might stop and consider just why He decides to be so dramatic in his speech. It’s certainly not because He likes to exaggerate, be graphic, or shock His listeners. He doesn’t. Jesus decides to use extreme examples, because He wants us to be very serious (maybe even drastic) if that’s what it takes for us to avoid sin. If we aren’t willing to make such efforts to avoid sin, then we risk the seriously drastic consequences of sin.
Foolishly, many Christians do not struggle to avoid sin. Somehow, many of us who have taken Jesus seriously when He says He loves us haven’t taken Him seriously when He tells us that sin can destroy our body and soul. Listen to Him very carefully; He disagrees with our lazy approach to sin. What are the sins that each of us chooses not to fight? Do we conveniently ignore Jesus’ teaching on the danger of being attached to riches and material treasures? Do we watch trashy TV because it is funny? Or listen to filthy music because we like the beat? Or ignore Christ’s teachings on sexuality and marriage because everyone else in our class or prayer group does? Do we stay in tempting situations instead of fleeing immediately? Jesus would remind us that when it comes to sin, we must not be passive, but drastic. In prayer now, consider what we will do to avoid a particular sin that seems always to beat us.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above.(Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
