Wednesday 7th in Ordinary Time
Gospel (Mc 9,38-40):
John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group”. Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us”.
Fr. David CODINA i Pérez
(Puigcerdà, Gerona, Spain)
Today, we hear a reproach by the apostle John who sees people doing good in the name of Christ but without being one of His disciples: “Master, we have seen someone casting our devils in your name and we have tried to stop them because they are not one of us” (Mc 9:38). Jesus give us the correct view that we should hold to these people; take them to ourselves, widen our horizons always with a humble spirit we are always in communion with them, one true faith, the same orientation, or in other words walking together on the path to the perfection of God’s love for us and love for one another.
This way of living our vocation as one “Church” invites us to review in a peaceful and serene manner the coherence with which we live this openness to Christ. The fact that there are “others” that upset us because they do the same as we do is an indication of the fact the Love of Christ has not fully penetrated us in all its dept. He asks us for the humility to accept that we are unable to fathom the full wisdom and love of God. To accept that we are the ones Christ has chosen to let all mankind know that humility is the way to become closer to God.
Jesus went about his task from the incarnation onwards, when he brought us as close as is possible to the majesty of God in the insignificance of man. Saint John Chrysostom says “the Cross and Death was not enough for Christ, but he also wanted to be poor and of traveling stock, be errant and bare, He wanted to be thrown in prison and suffer weakness, all in order to convert you and me”. If Christ did not let any opportunity pass to show his love for us, let us not let any prospect pass to accept those who are different to us in the manner in which each one lives his vocation forming part of the church, for “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mc 9:40).
Source: evangeli.net
_____________________________
