REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR 1 13TH NOVEMBER 2023

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR 1 13TH NOVEMBER 2023

Wisdom 1:1-7; Ps.139; Luke 17:1-6

Sharing in the sin of others

Sin has a personal character but can be communicable. This is the lesson Jesus is teaching us in today’s gospel reading. When someone sins, he/she is responsible for it, for it was he/she that freely acted wrongly. However, others can share in that same sin in many ways. To share in the sin of another is not like sharing a drink so that each person only gets some quantity. When a person shares in the sin of another, the same amount of guilt is apportioned to all parties involved. Therefore, when you cause someone to sin, you are as guilty as the person who sinned. It is not a matter of “no bi me do am”. For example, a doctor who carries out abortion, is as guilty as the lady who procured it.

We share in the sin of others when we directly or indirectly tempt them to commit sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us nine (9) ways in which we can share in the sin of others: (a) by counsel, (b) by command (c) by consent (d) by provocation (e) by praise or flattery (f) by concealment (g) by being a partner in the sin (h) by silence (i) by defending the ill done.

Mere reading today’s gospel, we may think that we are far from tempting others to sin; but when we consider the above list, we realize that honestly, we have in one way or the other contributed to the evil around us; the evil for which we have wondered if God is really good and powerful as the Christian faith says. We complain about what we cause ourselves.

The fact is, whatever is not fed will die. If we do not feed evil, it will either die or grow very weak. In either case, it will not be able to do us much harm. It is for this reason that the author of the book of Wisdom exalts us to love righteousness in the first reading of today. To exalt righteousness is to be against evil, and when we are against evil, we will consciously endeavour not to share in the sins of others.

We cannot be silent or blind to the existence of evil. Tolerance, they say, is the negative permission of evil. We must be doing something; we must be saying something.