Thank You

First Reading: 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

Second Reading: 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."

REFLECTION:

by Cris Balla

Equal Employment Opportunity. This is what came to my mind when I was reading the first part of the Gospel.

                       

While equal employment opportunity is probably a recent invention, it appears that even Moses had espoused the idea thousands of years ago. And so did Jesus 2 millennia back. 

But more than the equal employment opportunity clause, I think that God is also telling us to partake in His goodness by doing good things as well.  I think that Jesus is calling us to do something good - not literally driving out demons, but something probably within the bounds of our abilities. 

It could be as simple as teaching our children good manners and right conduct. Or it could be giving up some of our precious time to help build houses for our less fortunate brothers.

There are many good things we can do. Maybe to start with, avoid doing something that is obviously not good.

"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." What Jesus did was encourage the performance of good deeds.

How often do we encourage others to perform good deeds?  How often do we appreciate someone doing a good deed? How often do we say the words "Thank You!"? 

...I think that maybe if we do more of it, this could be a better place to live… Think about it.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving us the grace to partake in Your goodness. Help us to role model gratefulness and to develop the habit of encouraging others to do good so many will give glory to Your name. Amen.