YEAR B: HOMILY FOR 26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
YEAR B: HOMILY FOR 26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: HE WHO IS NOT AGAINST US IS FOR US!
BY: Fr. Ade
Num. 11: 25-29, Ps. 19, James 5: 1-6, Mark 9: 38-43, 45. 47-48
Suppose you are weeding your expansive front yard one morning and a friend passes by. Seeing you tired and worried about the amount of work to be done, he offers to help. Will you refuse his offer to help? Will you be jealous or angry if he works so well and weeds a larger portion than you?
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR 26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
The Gospel for this Sunday carries profound significance for contemporary Christians, especially for Catholics. The observation of Apostle John about another man who was not a member of the apostles seen casting out demons was an opportunity for Jesus Christ to teach that the gifts and blessings of God are not exclusive to his “known” followers. God can work good and even more miraculous things through anyone- even his “anonymous” followers.
One can imagine the zeal with which the young Apostle John defended what he feels should be the “exclusive right” of the apostles. Note that, he did not forbid the man because he is not a follower of Jesus but “because he is not following us”(the apostles) Jesus’ response, on the other hand, is extremely pertinent for contemporary Christians, particularly Catholics. “Do not prevent him” Jesus says. “There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.” Besides this, he states unequivocally, “For whoever is not against us is for us.”
In the Catholic theological tradition, a distinction between these three groups is frequently made. Individuals who are fully incorporated into the Catholic Church, those who are not fully incorporated into the Church, and those who practice other non-Christian religions. Throughout history, people have grappled with the issue of salvation outside of the Catholic Church. In the days before the second Vatican Council the belief was “extra ecclesiam nulla salus est” – Outside the Church (Catholic) there is no salvation, a theory developed by St. Cyprian of Carthage in the 3rd century. In our own time, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council have put the issue to rest through their magisterial teaching.
Phrases like “full communion with the Catholic Church,” “not in full communion with the Catholic Church,” and “not in communion with the Catholic Church” are frequently used to refer to the aforementioned distinctions. Nonetheless, what does the Catholic Church mean by these phrases?
The Catholic Church teaches that those who are in full communion with her are those who “possessing the Spirit of Christ accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given to her and are united with her as part of her visible bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops” (Lumen Gentium n.14). Thus, full and visible communion, or, more precisely, full incorporation into the Catholic Church, presupposes acceptance of the profession of faith, the seven sacraments, the ecclesiastical government of the Catholic Church, and communion.
What about those who either do not accept or accept some but not all of the teachings of the Catholic Church? Can God work wonders through them? And this is where Jesus’ answer to the Apostle John is so relevant for contemporary Catholics. Yes, “For Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40). The Catholic Church recognizes her link with other ecclesial communities especially through the Sacred Scriptures, baptism, and the Holy Spirit. And for other non-Christian religions (Nostra aetate, 2), the Church sees whatever good, or truth found amongst them as a preparation for the Gospel (Lumen Gentium nos. 15-16). Jesus says, “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).
Nevertheless, the Catholic Church frowns at any form of religious relativism. She is unequivocal in her assertion that the Church founded by Jesus Christ “subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him” (Lumen Gentium, 8). And that Jesus continues to touch lives today through her. Despite this, she recognizes that Jesus works miracles through those who have not yet accepted him or been fully incorporated into the Catholic Church.
Additionally, the Catholic Church teaches that the “many elements of sanctification and truth” (Lumen Gentium, 8) which exist in other churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with her “derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3). As a result, if a stranger to the Christian community performs good deeds in the name of Christ or gives you a cup of water to drink because you are a Christian as long as he or she does so with upright intentions and with respect, we should not oppose or even feel jealous of him or her but should rejoice because “whoever is not against us is for us.”
Dear friends in Christ, as is the case in the Catholic Church, other Christian denominations, as well as in other religions such as the African Traditional Religion, there are numerous men and women endowed by God with special gifts such as the gifts of prophecy, healing powers, among others. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” Saint James (1:17) reminds us, “coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Let us remember that God’s gifts and blessings are not tied to any particular religion or denomination. God loves all of his children equally and unconditionally and bestows his blessings and gifts on them according to his will (Acts 10:45). As God allows the blessings of the rain shower down on both the good and the bad, in the same manner there is no discrimination in Him and He uses all His creatures as He wills.
Thus, today’s Gospel challenges us to begin to appreciate the blessings and gifts of God wherever we see them. For God is capable of working miracles through anybody be it Catholic, non- Catholic, non-Christian believers, including those of other religions. Today’s Gospel also serves as a reminder to all of us to examine our tolerance and appreciation for other Christians and religions. Are you jealous or zealous?
Lastly, I enjoin you to make these words of Jesus your approach to life, “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” (Mark 9:40) and if God be for us who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31)
May these words reside and abide in our hearts always through Christ our Lord. Amen.
HAPPY SUNDAY
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>
