DAILY HOMILIES #good example

By saying we should cut off our hands and feet and pluck our eyes, Jesus wants us to realise that we have power over sin and that the causes of sin are right within us. Stop blaming the devil for your sinful actions. It is what is inside you, not what is outside you, that is making you fall into sin. Jesus is not asking us to cut our bodies physically; rather, he wants us to cut off those bad thoughts, imaginations and desires within us that lead us to sin.

The first thing we must do to avoid becoming guilty of scandalizing anyone is to remind ourselves constantly that innocent minds and hearts still exist.

For Jesus, it is better for a stone to be tied to your neck and you be thrown into the river than to lead one of these little ones astray. A single sin, a single bad example can affect thousands of people around you and even the next generation.