26th Sunday - Fr. Leo
Both our first reading from Numbers and our passage from Mark’s gospel, show how the Spirit is beyond human control. When the Lord took a portion of Moses spirit and gave it to the seventy elders it also reached Eldad and Medad who were on the list, but absent. This caused Joshua concern. Thinking he is protecting Moses, he wants them stopped, but Moses asked him why? Moses said It would be best if everyone were given a share of the spirit so all could prophesy.
In the Gospel, John has the same concern as Joshua. There was someone driving out demons in Jesus’s name but because he was not of their company, John wanted him stopped, but like Moses, Jesus explains that no one driving out demons in his name can at the same time speak ill of him. Whoever is not against us is for us.
The Spirit is God, part of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Spirit then has one source and is without beginning our end. The same Spirit worked in Moses’ time and was the power that worked in Jesus’s ministry and is active today in all who open their hearts to the goodness and love of God.
This is why Pope Francis can say that Christianity isn’t the only way to God. He recognizes that the Spirit comes and goes as God’s wills and is not under the jurisdiction of any one person or religion. While believing in the Christian life with all his being, Pope Francis knows God is bigger than all things, times, and places. To live in the Spirit, is to live in Christ. Thus, anyone who lives in the Holy Spirit lives in God. And it is this spirit that will make us one as long as we don’t try to stop it with our own ideas like Joshua and John.
The Ecumenical movement in the Church has always recognized this and strives to strengthen unity where it can be strengthened. We respect our tradition, but we need to respect the traditions of others as well. The Greek, Russian, and other orthodox churches should be our brothers and sisters. However, each of these traditions, puts up barriers by claiming to be the only true church.
Today’s gospel points to unity based on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit being the One that makes us one and works as God wills, not as we insist. So, it is good that we love our traditions, but we cannot make gods out of them, we must always let the Spirit lead, and like Moses and Jesus, clear away what prevents the Spirit of God from making us one with Him.
How does this apply to the following?
1) Insistence on the Latin Rite in the Church?
2) Openness to the great work of the Spirit on other Christian Churches?
3) Openness to the Spirit in all peoples regardless of creed?
4) Isn’t a truly good deed just that, a good deed, regardless of whose heart it comes out of?