Sunday Reflection

 

Christian by name and in deed

The apostle John had a problem because “a man who was not one of us” was casting out devils in Jesus’ name, so “we stopped him.” But Jesus did not agree.  “Anyone who is not against us is for us.”  Miracles of healing are not confined to the Catholic Church.  Retreat Centres host ways of meditating, with breathing exercises and gentle movement which are not specifically Christian but neither are they anti-Christian.  I know from experience in a Retreat Centre that people object to these retreats on the grounds that they worship a false god.  These exercises are bringing great inner peace and healing to people.  Inner demons of violence, addiction, anxiety, and fear are being cast out. Remember what Jesus said: “Anyone who is not against us is for us.”  As a young apostle, John wanted to stop the man who was healing, because “he was not one of us.”   But years later, the more mature John, in his First Epistle, wrote that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.”  God’s presence, love and power are not confined to any one Church.

People of the Kingdom

The mission of Jesus was to establish the kingdom or reign of God on earth.  The Church was to provide the taskforce of this kingdom.  However, as Saint Augustine noted, there are many who belong to the Kingdom although they do not belong to the Church, while there are many who belong to the Church but not to the Kingdom.  In other words, it is not enough to be Christian by name if one is not Christian in behaviour.

In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus held a helpless little child before the apostles to represent all  those who require care and support from true followers of Christian charity.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus again speaks of his little ones, this time about the scandal of those who harm children in any way.

 “Anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck.”  This must have been the strictest warning Jesus ever gave.  Do not be an obstacle to the faith of anybody, but especially to the life of an impressionable child.  Perhaps Jesus could foresee the abuse of children by people who were trusted, especially by church personnel.  As Shakespeare wrote, “Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.”  There is a Latin tag, Corruptio optimi pessima, corruption of the best is worst of all.  It is only in recent times that the depth of hurt inflicted has been recognised.  We must continue to pray for people who have been abused, as well as for true repentance on the part of anybody who has abused or hurt others.

Cleansing

Wherever there is corruption there is need of cleansing which, in very serious cases may require surgery.   Jesus spoke of cutting off the sinful hand or foot and tearing out the sinful eye.  He is not advocating self-mutilation in a literal sense.  Sin does not reside in the hand or eye which is its instrument.  Sin begins in the mind and the decision of the will.  What needs to be cut out is walking into temptation.   Many people today ask for trouble by playing with pornography.  It soon becomes an addiction.  As a man who struggled with alcoholism told me, one drink is too many and twenty is not enough.  It is very easy to become addicted, not only to drugs or alcohol, but also to harmful gossip, or to the irreverent use of the name of Jesus.

One of the beatitudes tells us that the pure of heart see God.   If a person’s mind is filled with the light of Christ, and when one’s will is directed by what God would want, then sin will not happen so easily.

Fratelli Tutti

Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi who called every created thing brother or sister, Pope Francis wrote a beautiful Encyclical Letter, Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.  Here is part of his closing prayer.

Lord, Father of our human family,

you created all human beings equal in dignity:

pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit

and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace.

Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world,

a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.