What is a scandal? A scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Scandals come in many forms, including embezzlements that have ruined the good name or good reputation of banks; politicians having affairs; aid for the poor and hungry being siphoned off by the rich and those in power; even wealth of certain nations being robbed by those in power, causing such nations to end up in serious debt and poverty. Even the church has seen its share of scandals, including sex abuse cases, power struggles, schisms, heresies, certain corrupted practices for material or temporal gain, and so on. When a scandal happens, the trust and confidence of those affected could be reduced, or even to the point of being lost completely.
In today’s reading, St. Paul talked about a different kind of scandal. He warned about eating foods that are sacrificed to idols, which could cause a scandal among the faithful, especially those who are weak in their faith. Some of us may think that it seems hardly a scandal, but in those times and even today, it would be enough to cause another’s downfall in the faith. This is why we must always remember that whatever we do or say is not a private affair, especially when it comes to witnessing as Christians. The consequences of our unwise and imprudent words and actions could spread farther and wider than we think. May we be alert and discern what we say and do, so that we say and do what is just and right, for the glory of God.