“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.” Mark 9:42
St. Bede, an early Church Father, states that “he who is great,
whatever he may suffer, departs not from the faith; but he who is
little and weak in mind looks out for occasions of stumbling.” In
other words, the “little ones” here could be understood to be those
who are weak in faith and are constantly looking for reasons to
depart from the faith.
Consider who might struggle with this tendency in your own life.
Perhaps there is a family member who continually questions the
practice of the faith, perhaps someone you know considers himself
or herself a “fallen away Catholic.” According to St. Bede, these
are the “little ones” of whom Jesus is speaking.
When dealing with someone who appears to lack faith, expresses
doubts and disagreements, is caught in a life of manifest sin, or
has begun to walk away from the practice of the faith, there can be
a temptation to criticize, argue or condemn. If this is a
temptation you struggle with, then listen closely to Jesus’ words:
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…”
We cause those who are weak in faith to sin when we fail to show an
abundance of virtue toward them during their struggles. Deep down,
most people who are struggling with a life of sin or a weakness of
faith do, in fact, have some faith. They do believe in God. But
their faith is often easily shaken, and they can be easily pushed
further away from God if we fail to exercise the necessary virtues
of patience, compassion and mercy they need.
With that said, we also have to avoid offering a “compassion” that
is not grounded in the truth. On this point, St. Gregory states:
“If a stumbling block is laid before men in what concerns the
truth, it is better to allow the offense to arise, than that the
truth should be abandoned.” In other words, it is not compassionate
or merciful to show support for another in their error so as to
make them feel good. The truth of the Gospel must never be
abandoned; instead, that truth must always be offered with the
greatest of charity, especially toward those “little ones” who are
weak in faith.
Reflect, today, upon the important balance that is necessary in the
apostolic life. “Balance” does not mean compromise. Rather, it
means that we seek to continually bring forth the full truth of the
Gospel while also seeking to exercise the fullness of every virtue
in the process. Do not become a stumbling block to others in the
faith. Seek, instead, to lavish God’s grace and mercy upon those in
your life who need it the most. If you do, then many of those
little ones will one day become truly strong in the grace and truth
of our loving God.
Most merciful Lord, You desire that all of Your children come to
the full revelation of Your truth and mercy. Please use me as You
choose to reach out to those who struggle with their faith and need
to be treated with the utmost care. May I never be a stumbling
block to them but always be a bridge to You and Your abundance of
grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured images above: Jesus and the Little Child by James
Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
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