Breaking Open the Word
Sept. 27: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture readings:
• Numbers 11:25-29
• Psalm 19: 8, 10, 12-14
• James 5:1-6
• Mark 9:38-48
Overview: A prophet is not a fortune teller, but someone who is able to read the “signs of the times” in light of eternity, that is, in the light of God’s word. Sometimes a prophet predicts the future, but more often than not the prophet is someone who illuminates the present with the light of truth. In the first reading, 70 elders had been appointed by Moses to assist him in guiding, governing and teaching the people. Each of them was given a share of the spirit that God had given to Moses, but two men, Eldad and Medad, who were not members of the “official” group, also received the spirit and proceeded to speak God’s word. Rather than quenching the spirit by forbidding them to speak, Moses praises God for having bestowed his gifts on them. In the second reading, James, speaking prophetically, chastises the rich members of the Church for their greed and exploitation of the poor. He exhorts them to be just in their dealings with their employees, for if they do not, he warns them, the corruption of their wealth will “devour your flesh like a fire.” The Gospel, like the first reading illustrates how even those who did not belong to the Twelve were also given a share of the Spirit to perform “mighty deeds” in the name of Christ. It is worth noting that this reading immediately follows Jesus’ teachings about the “greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mk 9:33-37). The point of the Gospel is that sometimes even the “littlest ones” speak the truth of God.
Key verse: “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!”
“Catechism of the Catholic Church”: “‘The holy People of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office,’ above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole people, lay and clergy, when it ‘unfailingly adheres to this faith … once for all delivered to the saints,’ and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ’s witness in the midst of this world” (No. 785).
Pope Benedict XVI: “All people feel the interior impulse to love authentically: love and truth never abandon them completely, because these are the vocation planted by God in the heart and mind of every human person” (“Caritas in Veritate,” 1).
Application: The Spirit of God has been given to the whole Church so that the entire people of God, clergy and laity together, share in the prophetic ministry of Christ. Jesus’ advice to his disciples is relevant for us in light of our relationship with each other as well as non-Catholics and even non-Christians: “Whoever is not against us is for us.” The anonymous disciple in this week’s Gospel who performs mighty deeds in Christ’s name shows us that just because someone is not part of our particular group, he or she can still bear witness to the truth.
