Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 343
Reading 1
James 4:13-17
Beloved:
Come now, you who say,
"Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,
spend a year there doing business, and make a profit"–
you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.
Instead you should say,
"If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that."
But now you are boasting in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.
So for one who knows the right thing to do
and does not do it, it is a sin.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
For he can see that wise men die,
and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,
leaving to others their wealth.
R. Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Alleluia
John 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Mutual Support
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him…” Mark 9:38–39
Why would John and the other disciples try to stop someone from driving out demons? To understand this, imagine the scene. John and the other disciples had come to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah of God. They witnessed Him perform many miracles and change many lives. As a result, they no doubt wanted everyone to discover Who Jesus was and come to faith in Him. But then they encountered someone they did not know, who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name, and they tried to stop him.
Just prior to this passage, we read the story of a man who had brought his possessed son to Jesus’ disciples and asked them to cure the boy, but they were unable to do so. Perhaps the disciples were a bit humbled by their inability to cast out the demon, and then they witnessed another person, not of their company, who was able to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. This might have added to their feelings of weakness and humiliation, and perhaps that is part of their motivation for trying to stop the man from exercising authority in Jesus’ name.
One common temptation that the evil one issues upon the members of the Church is that of internal division. As followers of Christ, we are all entrusted with the same mission, in different ways. We are called to become instruments of God’s grace for the salvation of souls and the glory of God. But sometimes we fail to act in unison and, instead, see our co-workers as our opponents.
Within our Church today, there are plenty of internal divisions that must cease. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is to make it a priority to focus upon mutual support. Instead of allowing pride to create jealousy toward those who perform “mighty deeds” by the grace of God, we must work to rejoice in every good that we see. This seems like an obvious statement, but pride and feelings of inadequacy are real temptations that lead us to look down upon those who accomplish the will of God in powerful ways. When we see someone doing something good, we often immediately think about ourselves, wishing we were the ones doing the good work. And when God uses another in a powerful way, we can easily be tempted to see our own inadequacies and failings, rather than glorifying God for the good deeds done by another.
Reflect, today, upon the simple truth that every Christian is on the same spiritual team. We are all called to work toward the goals of the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Try to humbly think about those in your life who do this well and consider your attitude toward them. If you see any form of jealousy, envy or criticism, commit to dispel those attitudes. Instead, seek to have gratitude as you rejoice in the many ways that God uses others for His purpose.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
SINS OF OMISSION
“When a man knows the right thing to do and does not do it, he sins.” —James 4:17
Sins are not just what we commit but also what we omit. We will be judged not only for what we say (Mt 12:36) but also for what we don’t say (see Ez 3:18; 33:6, 8). We will be judged not only for lending our presence to things that do not glorify God (see 1 Cor 10:31), but also for our absences from the assembly of God’s people (Heb 10:25) and from other works of the Lord.
Before we were created, the Lord prepared a life of good deeds for each of us to do (Eph 2:10). He holds us accountable to do all of these deeds (see Rm 2:6; Rv 20:12). For example, Jesus warned the church of Sardis: “Wake up, and strengthen what remains before it dies. I find that the sum of your deeds is less than complete” (Rv 3:2).
If you are sinning by omission, repent and cry out for the Lord’s mercy. “He is an Offering for our sins” (1 Jn 2:2). The Lord will forgive. By His grace, we will do the impossible. We will do all that He asks of us. Live your life for Jesus to the full (see Jn 10:10).
Prayer: Father, I put my life in Your hands.
Promise: “Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God; too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough to remain alive always and not see destruction.” —Ps 49:8-10
Praise: St. Rita of Cascia is patroness of impossible causes, especially abused wives and heartbroken women. She was a wife, mother, widow, and member of a religious community. Her holiness was shown in every phase of her life.
Reflection 3
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. Iterects 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.
Prayers
Lord of power and might, You accomplish countless good through the generosity and fidelity of Your people. You constantly use all who follow You to bring forth Your will. Please use me, dear Lord, as an instrument of Your will, and help me to always rejoice in the ways that You bring Your grace forth through others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may radiate the joy of the Gospel to others. May your light and truth shine through me that others may find new life and joy in you, and freedom from sin and oppression.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 142: The Lord’s Peace Dispels Evil
It is important to recognize the existence of the evil one, satan. And it’s important to realize his anger and hatred. His hatred is of greater intensity than we may be able to understand. It is beyond his control to cease hating us and seeking to destroy us with all his powers. Why is it important to know this? Because when we receive some attack from the evil one, either directly or through the “inspired” anger of another, we tend to react with fear, scandal, or anger ourselves. We tend to want to fight back. But if we understand the intense hatred of the devil, we will realize that he desires to draw us into his hatred and anger. Therefore, the best response to any experience of his hatred is to turn from him and his attacks and to remain at peace with God. The peace of our soul will dispel him and all he seeks to do to us. His anger is not worth even a moment of our attention or engagement (see Diary #713).
How do you react to the evil one and his attacks? Do you recognize his insidious but vile ways? Can you discern his attempts to steal your peace and turn your focus to fear rather than faith? Reflect, today, upon the crucifix and turn your eyes to this saving act of perfect love given by our Savior. By turning to the Lord in all things, His peace remains and He will dispel the dark attacks of him who hates us.
Lord, I turn my eyes to You and give my mind, heart, feelings and passions to You and You alone. Free me from foolish fear and from all attacks from the evil one. May I discern his evil ways and reject their effects by trusting in You and You alone. Jesus, I do trust in You.
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