Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the LORD: "It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these are sheep; what have they done? Punish me and my kindred."

Sometimes when we sin, we are not the ones who suffer the most. It is our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers who are harmed most grievously. When we sin, we rarely think about how our actions will affect others. Instead we are so focused on our selfish desires that we ignore the possible ramifications of our decisions. We don’t think about how our faults might hurt others. How our action or inaction might change a person’s life forever... and for the worse. We think only of ourselves and therein is the problem. Before we say or do anything we should take the time to consider others and how our actions might affect them going forward. Will harm come to another person because of what we do or fail to do? If so, then we must make a different choice... one that leads to the greatest good, even if it means our own suffering.

Have our selfish thoughts, words, or words harmed others? How can we make amends for our actions or inaction? Are we willing to choose the path of mortification and suffering so that others might be spared?

O Lord, we have sinned and harmed others in doing so. Help us to be a grace to others and not a stumbling block.

Amen.