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.
