Scandal And The Millstone

Cavere ergo oportet nos, fratres, ne scandalum faciamus aliis, ne vel ipsi alio faciente patiamur. Scandalum est quod offendit sensus, quod mentem turbat, quod confundit intelligentiae puritatem. Scandalum est, quod diabolum fecit ex angelo, quod ex apostolo reddidit proditorem, quod invexit peccatum mundo, quod hominem deduxit mortem. Audi Dominum dicentem: Vae mundo a scandalis.  Scandalum sanctos tentat, fatigat cautos, incautos dejicit, confundit omnia, conturbat omnes, et licet in praesenti locl Dominus de scandalo suae passionis loquatur, et Judam denotent per quem venit ipsum scandalum scandalorum; tamen ne quis in hoc deveniret, admonuit, dicendo: Impossible est ut non venitant scandala; vae tamen illi per quem veniunt. Bonum est illi si lapis molaris appendatur collo ejus, et projiciatur in mare, quam scandulizet usum de pusillis istis.' Quare non lapis, sed lapis molaris: quia lapis molaris dum triticum terit, dum farinam fundit, a polline furfurem dum secernit, panem pie laborantibus subministrat. Bene ergo illi qui eligit minister scandali magis esse quam pacis, ad collum lapis alligatur molaris, ut hoc illum ad mortem trahat, quod illum trahere debuisset ad vitam: quia sensus ad vitam datos mortis convertit in scandalum, suadendo aliud videre, aliud audire, aliud sentire, aliud sapere, quam erat in Christo, quam erat in scientia salutari. Hinc angularem lapidem, hinc adjutorii lapidem, hinc lapidem sine manibus abscissum, qui est Christus, sic pusillorum circuit traxit ad scandalum, ut non panem vitae, sed panem lacrymarum conficeret et doloris, sicut propheta testatur, dicens,: Qui manducatis panem doloris' Bene ergo illi, sicut alibi dixit, Ut mola asinaria alligetur collo ejus , et inde sumat poenam, unde sumpsit et sensum, et exaequetur jumentis insipientibus qui voluit hominibus superna sapientibus comparari. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XXVII Source: Migne PL 52 277C-278C

Therefore brethren, we should be careful neither to give scandal to others nor to be moved by it when it is done by others. It is scandal that offends the senses, which troubles the mind, and confounds the clarity of the intellect. It is scandal that made the devil from an angel, which produced a traitor from an Apostle, which brought sin into the world, which led a man away to death. Hear the Lord saying, 'Woe to the world because of scandals.' 1 Scandal tries the saints, exhausts the prudent, throws down the imprudent, confuses all things, troubles all things. It is true that in the present passage the Lord is speaking of the scandal of His passion, and indicating Judas through whom came the scandal of scandals; however, lest anyone come to this, He gave warning, saying, 'Impossible it is that there be no scandal, but woe to him to whom it comes. It were better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than he should scandalise any of these little ones.' 2 Why not any stone but a millstone? Because while the millstone is grinding the grain and pouring out the flour and separating the bran from the meal, it is providing bread to those who are dutifully working. Rightly, then, is a millstone tied around the neck of that one who serves scandal rather than peace, so that it draws him to death which should have brought him to life; for turning to scandal he has turned the senses given for life to death, persuading that something been seen, something heard, something felt, something tasted, rather than what was in Christ and in His saving knowledge. Thus the cornerstone, 3 thus the stone of help, 4 thus the stone by no hand shaped, 5 which is Christ, he has turned into a scandal for little ones, and so he was not preparing the bread of life but the bread of tears and sorrow, as the Prophet testifies, saying, 'You who eat the bread of sorrow.' 6 It is well for him, as it is said elsewhere, 'To have a great millstone bound to his neck' 7 and let him take his punishment from that from which he has removed all sense, and let him be equal to the dumb beasts, since he did not wish to be compared to men who ponder heavenly things.  Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 27  1 Mt 18.7  2 Lk 17.1  3 Isa 28.16  4 1 King 7.12  5 Dan 2.45  6 Ps 126.4 7 Mt 18.6