7th Week, Wednesday, May 22
James 4:13-17 / Mark 9:38-40
Tomorrow is uncertain; “Life is brief like a puff of smoke.”
CBS News says the average American spends a week this way: 52 hours sleeping, 40 hours working, 26 hours watching TV, 21 hours listening to the radio, 18 hours eating, and 8 hours reading newspapers and magazines. That leaves two precious hours for things like loving, recreating, and praying. Whether these statistics fit our life or not, they do jar us into asking ourselves, “How profitably are we using the gift of life?”
“Referees call time; prisoners serve time; musicians mark time; historians record time; loafers kill time; statisticians keep time. . . The fact remains that all of us are given the same amount of time.” Dennis Hensley
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How are we using the time God has given us? "Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.” Horace Mann
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“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” (St. Augustine of Hippo) Similarly, we may think that our country's food is the best until we go abroad and have a taste of another country's cuisine. The main difference between being narrow-minded and broad-minded lies in the attitude and in the way we look at things and people.
The two readings of today give us concrete examples of the difference between being narrow-minded and broad-minded. The 1st reading quotes some people who talk about making plans for the future and what they are going to do and with hopes of making some money too.
But it is like a tunnel-vision of life and God does not seem to be included in their plans; it was all about themselves and nothing about God or anyone else. If the problem with the people in the 1st reading is the exclusion of others in their life and in their plans, then the problem that we see in the gospel is that of non-acceptance.
John saw a man doing the same ministry as them and because he was not one of them, they tried to stop him. They couldn't accept that man and what he did. And Jesus gave His disciples a very broad principle: Anyone who is not against us is for us. The broad-minded see the truth; the narrow-minded see only the difference. Let us pray that we will be able to see God in little things and give Him glory for everything.
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Introduction
James says that we shouldn’t be presumptuous in making plans for life. Our attitude should be “if it pleases God.” Our life is fragile and depends on God’s will.
Gospel. “He or she is not one of us” becomes easily an excuse for denying or belittling the good done by others, especially if they are not Catholics. Remember how before Vatican II the Church spoke of Protestants, communists, and socialists... Even today, there is a certain hesitancy to recognize the good done by people “who do not belong.” And Vatican II asked us not to think merely of our inner Church interests, for it gave us the pastoral document on The Church in the Modern World. Jesus appreciated whatever good done by anyone, whether belonging to the group or not.
Opening Prayer
Our Father in heaven, you let the sun shine and the rain come down on good and bad alike. Keep us from classifying people and issuing condemnations lightly. May we rather learn from your Son to appreciate the good done by anyone, whether one of us in the Church or not, and to be united with anyone
who seeks truth, peace and justice. For these are the works of the Holy Spirit of you, our Father, and of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Intercessions
– For the Church we love, that it may bring forgiveness and love to all, welcome all, care for all, inspire all with the gentle power of the Holy Spirit, we pray:
– For lawmakers, that the Spirit may prompt them to make good laws that are fair to all, we pray:
– For outcasts and victims of discrimination, that our communities may accept them fully and make our love so spontaneous and warm that they feel accepted, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, your Son ate with sinners and tax collectors while the devout people of his time blamed both him and the weak. Accept us at his table and teach us not to exclude anyone with a “holier-than-you” attitude. Do not allow us to condemn those who are different or act differently, but make us accept them as you accept us through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father, you have given us the privilege to hear the word of your Son and to share his table, not because we are better than others but simply because you are good. Do not allow us to become hard or to look down with pride on others but keep reminding us that we are in constant need of conversion through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
We should learn to appreciate whatever good is done by whatever person. The Spirit inspires many people to do good in a variety of ways. Good for them! May Almighty God bless them and you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
22 May 2024
Mark 9: 38-40
Good works are not copyrighted!
The disciples were fixed on an idea: We alone can do good, because we alone possess the truth, and those who do not belong to us cannot possess the truth and therefore, can do no good!
When the disciples saw someone who was not part of their group casting out demons in the name of Jesus, they thought it was not right. In today’s terms, we call it intellectual property rights or copyright issues! But Jesus corrected them and asked them. He wanted them to understand that everyone can do good, not just those who were part of their group. Jesus broadened their horizons and showed them that anyone, even those who are not part of their group, can do good things. “The Lord, in his image, created us all.” This universal truth is the foundation of our shared humanity. If “he does good, let all of us keep this commandment in our heart: do good and do not do evil. This commandment is for everyone, without exception.” The belief that only a select few can do good is a dangerous form of closed mindedness interects - barriers, leading to conflict and even violence in the name of God.
The truth is, the Lord's redemption extends to all, not just to Catholics, but to everyone, including atheists. It is the blood of Christ that unites us all as children of God, breaking down the walls of exclusivity and fostering a broader understanding of goodness.
It is good for us to reflect on this episode and to perform a small examination of conscience. There is a sort of fear of ‘competition’ — and this is bad: the fear of competition —, that someone may steal “my market” and “my followers”, and we are thus unable to appreciate the good that others do: it is not good because he is ‘not one of us’, they say. It is a form of self-referentiality.
