10/06/2022 | Reflection 1507 | Br Nigel Furtado OP on Matthew 5:27-32 HD

Do support us to produce these videos. If you wish to support us in our mission to spread the Word of God, kindly write to us: dominicanministriesgoa@gmail.com or drop a Whatsapp message: +91 7559384942 In the year 1849, in a little town in Italy, a young boy by the name of Dominic Savio made four promises to Jesus on the day of his First Holy Communion, later writing them down in his diary. The fourth one is particularly remarkable. He wrote: “Death rather than sin.” Death rather than sin! This was his fervent prayer throughout his life, as he asked Jesus to rather allow him to die rather than commit the least mortal sin against God. This little 9-year-old boy took this promise so seriously, that, as he grew older he made such serious efforts to avoid the occasions of sin, such as bad companions and every other situation that would lead him away from God. When he died at the young age of 14, he had left for his companions a wonderful example of purity and holiness, as well as a strong lesson on the seriousness with which one ought to avoid the occasions of sin. It is no wonder that he was declared a saint by the Church in 1954. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away… If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away…It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”” These are indeed very stern and serious words from Jesus. And while we are not required to take them literally, Jesus exhorts us to leave no stone unturned when it comes to uprooting sin from our lives. It is important to realize that every sin takes us away from God’s love, and mortal sin goes so far as to deprive us of God’s grace in our souls. One of the best ways to avoid sin is to avoid the occasions of sin. Looking into our lives, we can clearly see what are those things that lead us into sin. For instance, if a person knows that a particular friendship is leading him along the wrong path, it would be best for him to break off that friendship. If you spend too much time on your social media, you could for instance, fix some timings or set a timer on your device. These are only some of the ways by which we show God the seriousness of our resolve in living a life according to his will. Moreover, some penance is always a great help in overcoming the weaknesses in our spiritual and moral lives. The book of Sirach 21:2 says, “Flee from sin as from a snake; for if you approach sin, it will bite you.” While we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” let us also be careful that we do not lead our own selves into sin. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IndianDominicans Website: www.dominicans.in #dominicanmediamission #DOMINICANFRIARSINDIA