Commentary on This Sunday’s Gospel by Dom H Wansbrough

The gospel gives us a rich insight into two entirely separate matters, for this part of Mark is a collection of sayings about discipleship. The first little story tells us that we must accept good wherever we can find it, not only in our own group and where we expect it to be. It is the same lesson that came in the first reading. The Spirit of God is at work not only in Catholics, not only in Christians, not only even in explicit believers. As Vatican II teaches so strongly, the Holy Spirit is at work even in those who are seeking the Kingdom under signs and symbols. They can be better people and better Christians than those who sit back and do nothing, secure in the belief that they are members of the Church!
Secondly, the gospel gives some dire sayings about ‘scandals’. The word so translated means not stories about evil people or evil doings, but a trip-stone which makes people fall over. The dire sayings are about leading other believers into evil and about the trip-stones in ourselves, the disordered desires, that lead us into evil. Jesus sayings here must be taken with the utmost seriousness, but perhaps not literally to the extent of self-mutilation.



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