Matt. 18: 1-10
Today’s gospel reading, according to the 1962 Roman Missal, was for the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.
1: At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2: And Jesus called a little child to him, set him in their midst,
3: and said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4: Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5: “And whoever receives one such little child for my sake, receives me.
6: But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7: “Woe to the world because of scandals! For it must needs be that scandals come, but woe to the man through whom scandal does come!
8: And if thy hand or thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee! It is better for thee to enter life maimed or lame, than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the everlasting fire.
9: And if thy eye is an occasion of sin to thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee! It is better for thee to enter life with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire.
10: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father in heaven.”
(text from the 1941 Confraternity Version)
This gospel returns to us with painful relevance this year, and in it, the Lord Jesus speaks a warning with the utmost seriousness: lead no one else to sin, and let nothing lead you to sin.
There is also a word of consolation in verse 10, a word that speaks to all those who were as little ones “despised” or scandalized — now we might say: who were disrespected, shocked, wounded, led to stumble. Jesus says you were not alone, you were not lost: your angel in heaven always beheld the face of my Father.