26th Sunday of the year B

26 th SUNDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2021: NUM 11. 25- 29; JAM 5. 1-6; MARK 9. 38-43, 45, 47-48

 

Focus: Those who do holy and good works in the name of God and with His power, cannot work against God. If they are against God's will and plans, it means they are not really God-centred but self-oriented

 

1. In the gospel, the compelling theme is gravity of sin. Sin is so grave that it is better to “sever those parts of the body that cause to sin”, or to “do away with that person that causes another to sin”. Certainly Jesus sounds stern in his words: “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it off". Then, "if someone leads another to sin, let him be thrown into the sea, with a millstone tied around".

2. Why such a severity? Obviously for two reasons: it causes spiritual ruin because it loses eternity. Second, it causes fraternal ruin becauses it misleads another to sin.

3. This awareness of the gravity of sin and the severity of its penal consequences is very timely and relevant for our times. Truly we are living in a time and a society where the sense of sin, the fear of sin is rapidly diminishing. It is a permissible society where all sin and evil is permitted, justified, glorified and even promoted in the name of fun, enjoyment, modernity and progress. Sin is taken lightly and for granted. 

4. In such a society, we need to reawaken a moral and spiritual consciousness. It is not that we want to moralize whole life, increasing a sense of guilt and remorse. It is also not to promote a punitive or penalizing culture. It is also not policing the human conduct and action. It is more recapturing the lost sensitivity and consciousness, both spiritual and fraternal. We need to become more and more people of spiritual depth and moral responsibility. Only such a culture can save the society from its decadent culture of terror, violence and destruction.

5. Therefore, we need to foster a counter- culture that counters sin and its destructive effects. In what does this remedial culture consist? Some of the components are outlined in today's word of God. First, enhance the spirit of wisdom that clearly realizes that gaining eternal heaven and bliss even though losing a limb is far better than losing heaven, and being thrown into hell even though having all limbs intact. This wisdom is often missing because of which people hastily opt for temporary gratification and forfeit lasting satisfaction and fulfilment.

6. Then, counter two strong evil army chiefs. They are namely jealousy and excessive entanglement with riches. The beauty and happiness is many times reduced mainly because of ego- clashes. Jealousy reigns high in the life of many. They cannot tolerate other's growth and good performance. The same happens in the spiritual realm as well. Unfortunately, many cannot accept and appreciate when some others do well or come up. In the first reading, Moses and in the gospel, Jesus stand as contrary to jealousy. They are not moved by the force of jealousy. Rather, they are so magnanimous to rejoice when others receive gifts of God and excel.

7. The second remedial measure in the letter of St James is to guard against the evil of riches. In fact, riches in themselves are not wrong. What is wrong is excessive lust  for riches and attachment to them. James denounces heavily the rich and how they deal with others. All riches and money are meant for being truthful and faithful. Greed and arrogance are the offshoots and can be two ugly opponents of this false culture. In contrast to them, Learn to remain humble. Cultivate a constant spirit of giving and sacrificing. Learn to good.

Direction: Fear of sin and fear of God are two missing elements in the present society. An aversion toward sin and reverence and love for God are the greatest need of the hour.