Sunday, September 29, 2024

 

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48)

In today's Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples on various issues discussed in His time or during the apostles' preaching. While they may not be the most controversial issues today, they have some relevance for us and our families. Let’s consider the four statements of Jesus for their importance in biblical times and how they apply to the present.

When John tells Jesus that they had stopped a man from casting out demons in His name, Jesus corrects him. He knows that something truly good cannot be done without the grace of the Holy Spirit. John’s action is like that of some Catholics today who refuse to support evangelical “missions” which help the homeless. It's true that Catholic charities are often doing similar work, but this should not be an excuse to ignore the efforts of other Christian groups.

We are uplifted by stories of pilgrims being welcomed by those who live near sanctuaries. Last year, the people of Lisbon opened their doors to a million visitors attending World Youth Day. As the gospel says, "Anyone who gives you a cup of water because you belong to Christ, amen I say to you, will surely not lose his reward." This saying may have applied particularly to the early Church when the apostles were evangelizing foreign lands. Some might want to adapt this saying to make it more relevant to today's needs.

Ten years ago, the bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, created a fund for Catholic schools in his city, whose majority population is African American and non-Catholic. His goal was to provide excellent education to poor children. When some complained that these children weren’t Catholic, the bishop defended the fund, saying, "We don’t educate them because they are Catholic, but because we are Catholic." Since then, several charitable organizations have used the same reasoning in their fundraising efforts.

For more than twenty years, the Church worldwide has been criticized for failing to remove priests who sexually abused children. Not only did they violate Jesus' teaching in today’s Gospel, but they also disregarded all sense of contemporary morality. Jesus shows His disgust for such abusers when He says their punishment will be worse than drowning in the deep sea. But there are other kinds of child abuse that deserve our attention today.

Many children today live in homes without both parents present. This situation often leads to psychological and spiritual problems resulting in dissolute lives. In certain cases, it may be necessary for parents not to live together. But to avoid these problems, young people should consider three urgent responsibilities: wait until marriage to have sexual relations, seek wise counsel before choosing a partner, and marry legally.

Finally, Jesus urges His disciples to avoid sin so they won't be condemned to misery after death. His language is hyperbolic and should not be taken literally. We should never cut off a hand or gouge out an eye unless it’s necessary to save a life. We can relate His command to two contemporary issues. First, what causes many to sin today is the cell phone, which transmits pornography. Pornography violates both human dignity and chastity. We won't say one has to throw away his cellphone, but perhaps those vulnerable to pornography could install filters to block immodest content.

Very few would want to cut off a hand or foot, but evidently quite a few people want to mutilate their bodies to disguise the gender assigned to them at birth. They will use hormones and have surgery to appear as the opposite sex. Many people with this inclination suffer internally. For the love of Christ, we must try to affirm the goodness of their lives as they were created. It is a sin against God’s Providence to attempt to change one’s sex.

Human life is not easy, neither for the rich nor the poor. But it is not impossible for anyone. To make life not just bearable but also joyful, we must turn to the Lord Jesús. We can hear His voice in the Gospel. Even better, we can receive him – body and soul -- in the Eucharist.