Servant of God always seeks
NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE AND PERFECT
NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE AND PERFECT
We need to examine our strengths and weaknesses.
In today's Gospel,
John plays Joshua to Jesus' Moses. He wants to stop the exorcist who is driving
out demons in Jesus' name. But Jesus tells him, "Do not prevent him...
Whoever is not against us is for us."
The Gospel
continues with a series of Jesus' sayings in which the unquenchable fire of
Gehenna---"where 'their worm does not die' " - figures prominently.
The same dire imagery is used by James to condemn the rich whom who have
amassed great wealth by depriving the workers of their wages and the righteous
of their livelihood.
Jesus might urge
the guilty to tie stones around their necks and drown in the sea, or cut off
their hands and pull out their eyes. But he was Jesus. Without those unique
credentials, we can't get away with that kind of explosive rhetoric. A true
servant of God is always seeking new ways to improve and perfect!
In the Responsorial
Psalm we acclaim: The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. His law is
perfect, the ordinances of the Lord are true. He cleanses us from our unknown
faults! This past week in the letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul, captures his
spirit and his consistent call for unity: One body, spirit, hope, faith,
Baptism, and God of all. He went on to say, true Christian unity can only be
achieved by living the threefold virtues of faith, hope, and love with
humility, gentleness, and patience.
Points To Pray And Ponder: We need to examine our strengths and weaknesses. May we share our
spiritual and material gifts in this life--- so we can help the needs of others
and live as one community of faith.