Gospel: September 29, 2024
(Sunday)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19: 8, 10, 12-13, 14 (9a)
The precepts of the Lord. Give joy to the heart.
1st Reading: Numbers 11: 25-29
Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the 70 elders. Now when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this they did not do again.
Two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, the name of the other Medad. However, the spirit came on them for they were among those who were registered though they had not gone out to the tent. As they prophesied inside the camp, a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua, the son of Nun, who ministered to Moses from his youth said, “My lord Moses, stop them!”
But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? Would that all Yahweh’s people were prophets and that Yahweh would send his spirit upon them!
2nd Reading: James 5: 1-6
So, now for what concerns the rich! Cry and weep for the misfortunes that are coming upon you. Your riches are rotting and your clothes eaten up by the moths. Your silver and gold have rusted and their rust grows into a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire, for having piled up riches in these last days.
You deceived the workers who harvested your fields but now their wages cry out to the heavens. The reapers’ complaints have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury and pleasure in this world thus fattening yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have easily condemned and killed the innocent since they offered no resistance.
Gospel: Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48
John said to him, “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.
If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward.
If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck.
If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell.
And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out.
Lectio Divina:
Read: John told Jesus that they saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name. The disciples tried to forbid the man because he did not belong to their group. Jesus told them that whoever was not against them was for them. Jesus also told them that anyone who would give his disciples a drink of water because they belonged to Christ would surely rewarded. Jesus also taught them about the fate of the one who would cause the little ones believing in him to stumble and sin—that such individual be thrown into the sea. Jesus also said that if the hand of the disciple would cause him to sin, it would be better to cut it off in order to enter into life than with two hands to go to hell.
Reflect: Even the disciples of Jesus at that time were tempted to see their ministry in a very narrow and myopic manner. In today’s Gospel, John reported to Jesus that they tried to stop someone who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name. They tried to prevent this person because he did not belong to their group. John even seemed to take pride in what they did. Jesus corrected their myopic way of understanding their ministry. Anybody who is not against Jesus is for Jesus even if they seem to be outsiders. Any help and support even from the outsiders must be received. Myopic ministry can be a stumbling block to God’s ever inclusive salvific plan.
Pray: Let us pray that we may be more inclusive.
Act: Let us reach out to a person we know belonging to another Christian denomination.
