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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 27, 2009
Reading 1
Nm 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to
the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been
Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them
all!"
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14
R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the
heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Reading II
Jas 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending
miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have
become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it
will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up
treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who
harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of
the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of
hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Gospel
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw
someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to
prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus
replied, "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.
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.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in
me to sin, it would be better for him if a great
millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown
into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it
off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than
with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you
to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled than
with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes
to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not
die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
HOMILY:
The 73-year-old fathered seven children with his
daughter while he kept her locked in a cellar for 24
years, one of whom he admitted having murdered by
neglect. In March, an Austrian jury sentenced him to
life in prison and ordered him to be detained interned
at a secure psychiatric institution. He was found guilty
of all charges against him, including rape, incest,
murder and enslavement of his own daughter and other
children born to her through him.
This man has already created hell for himself, and it
would be difficult for him unless an extraordinary
divine intervention helps him to repent and get back to
God with lots of penance and works of mercy towards
others. He has been the centre of discussion and
analysis by psychologists and sociologist for a very
long time now. Let God judge him.
A hundred online pedophile communities
will be disconnected and prosecuted by U.S. and Italian
authorities thanks to the work of the Meter Association,
founded by Italian Father Fortunato Di Noto in this
month all over the world.
ZENIT learned from the association that
the networks consisted of some 18,181 people who used
online community Web sites to host and exchange
"thousands of images and video footage - 27,894
pedophiliac photos and 1,617 videos - as well as
information regarding the trade of minors."
The news was further publicized by Rome's
Italian police force, in cooperation with other security
forces.
"Thousands of children were involved,"
the association added.
Father Di Noto, a native of Sicily,
explained that with the aid of a team of volunteers,
Meter discovered "a universe that is not virtual, but
real, in which people can register and exchange
pornographic material of minors -- photos, videos, even
dates with minors -- through one of the most well known
social networks in the United States."
The association stated that
"investigators both in Italy and in the United States
termed the uncovered material an 'authentic horror,'
with newborns and children of a very young age as the
objects of violence and sexual abuse."
What scandals have you heard about in the past two
months? How did they affect you?
Scandals, like gossip, create news, headlines, and the
patter of talk shows. Politicians and entertainers cause
the public concern with their dress, their lifestyle, or
their secrets. Indeed, scandal not only drives public
opinion. It can increase profits for media and
visibility for publicity-hungry.
When it comes to the Church, scandal multiplies
problems. Not only does the community lose faith, the
community loses face with potential following. Church
scandal also gives those who oppose the faith reason for
persecution. But, what happens when the scandal within
the Church is caused by the good of non-Christians?
In Mark's gospel, Jesus addressed both issues. Scandals
caused by good. Scandals caused by evil.
The disciples were scandalized by an outsider curing in
Jesus' name. To the Jew of Jesus' time, a name revealed
the power and purpose of the person; to invoke the name
of Jesus meant to tap into his healing power. But use of
the name had a price; to use a name meant the one
invoking it had a relationship to the person, the power,
and the movement the name represented. On these grounds,
John objects to the outsider healing in Jesus' name.
John's question seems to say: "How dare he! This
outsider should be one of us!" [38]
Jesus turned the objection to the question of
discipleship. No matter how small the kind act, no one
who did good in the name of Jesus should be stopped. In
fact, anyone who did not oppose Jesus and his movement
were considered potential friends and benefactors. (This
outward world view allowed Christianity to grow rapidly.
Anyone was a potential Christian.) Friendship began with
a simple kindness. A benefactor relationship began with
a single act of charity. The good others did for Christ
and his followers did matter!
But what good were the disciples inside the movement
doing?
9:42
"it is better for him rather if the milestone of a
donkey had been set around his neck and he had been
thrown into the sea." The force of the two verbs
indicate it would have been better that the person died
before causing the scandal.
9:43
"It
is better (that) you go into (eternal) life deformed . .
. " Compare this statement with Leviticus 21:17-24,
where only the undeformed could lead worship. Only the
physically intact high priest could enter the Holy of
Holies, the place the populace believed Yahweh
definitely dwelt. In addition, self-inflicted wounds
were forbidden in the Torah.
Now Mark stated the self-deformed could enter the
kingdom. Ignore, for a moment, the fact that Mark used
this extreme language symbolically. The weight of the
statement was simple. Not only the sinners (the
"deformed") could enter the Kingdom, the righteous
(those with "two hands") could suffer eternal
punishment! In addition, sometimes needed to "deform
themselves" (i.e., leave the community of the
"righteous" for the community of "sinners") to be saved.
"Unquenchable" in Greek is "asbeston," the root word for
"asbestos."
9:43, 45, 47
"Gehenna" The valley of Hinnom, south and west of
ancient Jerusalem. This valley became infamous as the
"high place" for idol worship among Judah's monarchs
(including an oven for human sacrifice). Because of it
reputation, "Gehenna" became metaphor for eternal
damnation in the time of Jesus.
9:44, 46
"where the worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched" Both verses are the same. Most scholars do not
believe these verses are part of the original text, so
they are deleted from most modern translations.
9:48
"where their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched." Unlike 9:44 and 9:46, this verse is original.
This verse was an adaptation of Isaiah 66:24
"And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of
the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm
shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and
they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." (RSV)
The worm referred to the nature decay process of dead
bodies. Those who rebelled against God would suffer
unending decay and fiery punishment.
Were the actions of the disciple causing scandal to the
"little ones?" Scandal was such a great concern, it
deserved a great punishment (to make the point Jesus
infers capital punishment in v. 42). In the gospels, the
"little ones" can be either the faithful or traveling
missionaries. Scandal among the congregation or the
leadership caused dissension, discord, and disunity. It
could destroy the Church to a far greater extent than
any outsider.
In v. 43, 45, and 47, Jesus used extreme language to
make his point about the choice between the Kingdom and
Gehanna. For the Jew in Jesus' time, the hand and the
foot represented the areas of human activity. Did the
activity of the disciple represent Christ or selfishness
and evil influence? It was better not to be involved in
a certain activity (have hands and feet "cut off") than
to scandalize and be condemned.
The eyes [47] represented windows to one's heart and
mind. Their use could weaken or strengthen the faith
life of the disciple. Better not to see something (have
the eyes "cut out") than to "scandalize" one's self and
be condemned.
Catechism Theme: Respect for the Dignity of Persons
(Scandal) (CCC2284-2287)
"Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another
to do evil." (CCC 2284) The sin of scandal depends upon
the reasons of those who cause the scandal or the
weakness of the scandalized. Those who have power to
influence others (people in media, teachers, law makers,
etc.) have a particular responsibility to avoid causing
scandal. The content of scandal can be institutional
(i.e., a law or exercise of power). It can also be a
matter of custom or opinion.
Those within the Church have a particular need to avoid
scandal, so the Church can promote evangelization. But,
the Church and Christians can never completely avoid
scandalizing those who oppose Christ. Living out the
faith can divide people, as much as it invites people to
the Lord.
How has your practice of the faith challenge others? Did
it invite others to join? Or, did it cause others to
step away? What happened?
What is worse, to cause scandal or to be scandalized?
Neither advance faith, only egos. Both can destroy faith
and community participation. Both can lead to spiritual
death.
Jesus gave us guidelines to address scandal. Encourage
the faith of those outside the community. Know yourself
and your weaknesses that can cause scandal. And, do not
aspire to offices where you can cause scandal. Jesus
wanted an increase in faith, not scandal. We should,
too.
When believers cause scandal, it is a challenge away
from faith. But, when God causes scandal (poses a
challenge), it is a challenge to faith. God's will (his
"scandal") requires openness of mind and heart. What
time and energy have you spent seeking God's will,
hearing his voice?
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