Daily reflection _ seeking new ways to improve and perfect

Servant of God always seeks
NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE AND PERFECT
We need to examine our strengths and weaknesses.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
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.