Good morning good people, may the Lord give you peace and blessings in the Holy Spirit. It is 10th November 2025. We celebrate the memorial of St. Leo, the Great, the Pope and Doctor of the Church, who encouraged us: “Christian, remember your dignity. Now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member.”
Are We a Stumbling Block or a Sustaining Hope?
Readings: Wisdom 1:1–7; Luke 17:1–6
Today’s readings invite us to pause and ask: Are we the ones who lift others up in faith — or the ones who make them stumble?
The Book of Wisdom reminds us of that God’s Spirit dwells in simplicity and innocence. Wisdom — the gentle breath of God — delights to rest in hearts that are free from deceit, duplicity, arrogance, luxury, and artificial living. A simple heart is clear, transparent, and strong. It is pure, sincere, honest, trusting, and unselfish — the kind of heart that truly understands the ways of God.
Wisdom helps us discover the right and meaningful purpose of our lives and gives us the grace to fulfil it with peace.
Two friends once walked through a desert. After a heated disagreement, one slapped the other. Without saying a word, the one who was hurt wrote in the sand:
“Today my best friend slapped me on the cheek.”
Later, as they crossed a river, the same friend began to drown. The other swiftly rescued him. Upon reaching the shore, the rescued man carved on a stone:
“Today my best friend saved my life.”
The puzzled friend asked, “Why write one in the sand and the other on stone?”
He replied, “When someone hurts us, we must write it in the sand so that the winds of forgiveness may erase it. But when someone blesses us, we must engrave it on stone so it will never be forgotten.”
Wisdom teaches us to forget the hurts and remember the blessings. It helps us heal faster and love deeper.
In the Gospel, Jesus cautions us not to become a stumbling block to anyone’s faith. He calls us to live in a way that inspires forgiveness rather than demands it, and to forgive without counting.
Faith and forgiveness are inseparable. Where forgiveness abounds, faith abounds. Without genuine human connection, it is impossible to feel the nearness of God. Too often, we wound others not by our words but by our pride — by judging their weaknesses rather than embracing our own.
When we become self-righteous or arrogant, we block the Spirit of God from working through us. But when we admit our brokenness and choose mercy, Wisdom finds a home in us.
The failings of others are not reasons to condemn — they are gentle reminders of our own need for grace. As we long to be forgiven and accepted, we must also create space for others to forgive and be restored.
The disciples prayed, “Increase our faith!” (Lk 17:5).
Let us make that our prayer today.
For where forgiveness flows, faith grows.
May the Spirit of Wisdom make your heart pure, your faith strong, and your life a sustaining hope for others.