Bishop Tobin on What Other People Think

"There's a parable about a man and his young son who set out from their tiny village to go into town to buy provisions.

"When they started their journey, accompanied by their little donkey, the boy was riding the donkey while the man walked. 'Look how cruel that is,' people along the way said. 'That healthy, young boy riding the donkey while his poor old father has to walk.' So, stung by the criticism, the man and his boy switched places, but the people said, 'Look how cruel that is! That big strong man riding, while that poor little boy has to walk.'

"So, the pair continued their journey but now both were riding the donkey. And the people said . . . .".

In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on how, as "professed followers of Christ, when you scandalize others, that scandal undermines your witness and gives others an excuse to sin" and when "you're doing virtuous things and keeping the Commandments; if you have to make a controversial but righteous moral choice, you shouldn't worry about what other people think."

To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:

The Imitation of Christ: What Other People Think (27 FEB 20)