32nd Mon. Scandal vs. Martyr

 

“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Adults can cause children to sin by their scandalous behavior. Adults who cuss at sports events or become intoxicated at home or parents who don’t take their children to Mass or Catholic politicians who promote abortion can scandalize children and cause them to sin.

Last week Joe Biden met with Pope Francis and claimed the pope said he could continue to receive Holy Communion despite promoting abortion more than any other president in the history of our country. A politician who aggressively promotes abortion is not permitted to receive Communion, unless he publicly repents of his sin and goes to confession. One who “obstinately perseveres in manifest grave sin” cannot receive Holy Communion.

The day after Biden met the pope, he sacrilegiously received Holy Communion at St. Patrick’s church in Rome and the priest who gave him Holy Communion said he had no problem giving President Biden the Eucharist. All of this is scandalous. The priest should have refused Biden Holy Communion by following the laws of the Church. By not giving Communion, it would have prevented Biden from committing a sacrilegious communion, prevented scandal, protected the Host from desecration, reminded Mr. Biden he is no longer in communion with the Church’s teachings. It would have best for Biden’s soul.

No one has the right to receive Communion. The Eucharist does not belong to anyone nor to any priest, but rather is the property of the Church and subject to the laws of the Church. It’s our faith. How opposite it is for those who died for their faith in the Eucharist, as opposed to those who cause scandal.

1957, Father János Brenner, a Cistercian Hungarian priest, was called to give Last Rites and final Eucharist to a dying man. The call was a lie. The priest was being set up by Communists. As he went to the fake sick call carrying the Host and the oil of the sick, he was stabbed 32 times. When his body was found, he was still clutching the pyx with the Eucharist in it, because he refused to relinquish it to the killers.

Today let us pray for adult Catholics. May receive the gift of faith and live by it, like the martyrs. Children need examples of adults with faith and not adults without faith, who scandalize them by their non Christian behaviors.

O Mary, woman of faith, pray for all adult Christians, especially parents and government leaders, help them give good example, as an expression of their faith, so they can help children obtain heaven, rather than cause them to sin and lose their faith.