Memorial of Saint
John Bosco, priest
(Hebrews 10:19-25; Mark 4:21-25)
The word scandal
comes from the Latin scandalum which
means stumbling block or trap. Those who
give scandal cause other people to fall into error. They entice others to behave badly. Beyond the hurt it has caused, scandal makes
the sexual abuse perpetrated by priests especially opprobrious. Priests not only victimized defenseless
children. As preachers of Jesus Christ,
they have caused many people to disregard the graces he bestowed.
Today’s gospel gives a hint of Jesus’ importance. He is the lamp that is to make everything
visible. By the light of Jesus human
beings are to judge the good or evil of everything. Those who use this light appropriately will
gain wisdom beyond their mental capacities.
Those who reject it will lose the benefit of their natural wisdom.
Today’s celebrated saint, John Bosco, appropriated well the
light of Jesus. He urged his religious congregation
to follow Christ in treating the boys in their charge. He said that they are to show the same
patience to the boys as Jesus showed to his disciples. As Jesus put up with his disciples’ ignorance
and roughness, so should Salesians bear with the orphans. There is wisdom for all of us here. Like Jesus, we should correct others gently
when it is necessary. We want to give the
example of Jesus’ gentleness and kindness to poor sinners.
