Tolerance and Humility

I would like to focus on the first few lines of today’s Gospel passage, where John complains to Jesus, Teacher we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us. But Jesus said: Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us.

What does this mean for us today? It helps if we link this with the passage from the first reading, from the Book of Numbers. Here the spirit came down on the men who had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. Despite their not being with the others, they too were filled with the spirit and began to prophesy. Moses was asked to stop them, and he gave a great reply: Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!

Bishop Pilarczyk, in his reflection, says:

‘The lesson that we can take from these two readings is that the working of God’s power is not confined exclusively to channels that God has already identified. God can and does work in ways that are different from, and beyond, the instrumentalities that he has informed us about.’

We know that God reaches us through the sacraments, and leads and guides us through the sacred scripture. Yet God is bigger than, and more powerful than, the sacraments and the scriptures. We are blessed within our own parishes with a wide and deep diversity of cultures which all unite in one Catholic faith and reflect the same grace that Jesus has given us, even though we may show it in different ways of prayer. We are all equal in status, position and prestige. Other faiths display the tolerance and humility Jesus himself became the symbol of, and, in return, expects of us too.

Lord we thank you that your love and goodness are not limited. Help us to recognise your selfless love and compassion are often seen in the lives of all who are blessed with the spirit of the Lord and profess that spirit in their daily lives and actions.