One of the many beauties of Catholicism is the universality of our Church. Whether you wander into a parish in Rome, Seoul, Buenos Aires, or near my home in Oklahoma, you will encounter diligent men and women working to lead people toward relationship with Jesus through prayer, adoration, liturgy, music, acts of charity, and catechesis. If you have visited 10 different parishes, no doubt you have seen 10 unique sets of personalities, charisms, styles, cultures, and other diversities, yet all with the same mission.
While ideally our diversities enhance the Church, sometimes they can be points of division, conflict, or even sources of jealousy. Diversities can be misused to partition groups of insiders or outsiders, traditionalists or progressives, even clergy or layperson. Sometimes we fail to appreciate the good work of others because we ourselves did not accomplish it. This sort of error stems from a false assumption that goodness and love are finite – that if one group does more another does less. We see a glimpse of that in today’s Gospel passage.
The disciples approach Jesus and say to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” This man was doing good work in the name of Jesus, but the disciples did not approve because he was not following them. This man was not an insider. Did the disciples perceive that their work would diminished if this man’s work continued?
Jesus rightly rebukes the disciples, “Do not prevent him,” he says. Jesus reminds them, “whoever is not against us is for us.” Jesus sees the number of people who build up the Kingdom and the good that is done in this world expansively.
Certainly Jesus imparted upon his disciples a unique vocation and particular authority. Yet all are called through baptism to serve the Church and one another as part of the Christian life. This life should be unitive, in which we, as Christians, see and appreciate the good that others do in the name of Jesus as exactly that – good. When we stop worrying about who gets credit for doing good, or viewing goodness as a scarce commodity, and re-focus on seeing our brothers and sisters in Christ as truly one with us on a mission toward unity with God, we build the Church.
If you have ever felt that twinge of jealousy toward someone doing good work in this world, you know the feeling that the disciples had when they saw a man, who was not with them, healing in the name of Jesus. One way to avoid this sort of division is to name the good you see in others and give thanks to God for it, because God has uniquely equipped that person to serve the Church. And this same God has uniquely equipped you too.
Daily Reading
Second Sunday of Lent
Reading I Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall…
Saint of the Day
Second Sunday of Lent
Reading I Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall…