Today’s readings lead us to a discussion of a topic that is pertinent to our present times in our country. The plurality of various faith traditions leads us to a deeper consideration of the first reading and the first part of today’s Gospel[1]. Moses was told to summon 70 leaders to the Meeting tent to receive a portion of the Spirit he had been given. 68 did go to that Tent, received the Spirit, and began prophesying. However, the other two leaders, Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp and were not in the tent. Still, they also received the Spirit and began to prophesy. So, they were not among those with Moses in the Tent but still received the Spirit of prophecy. When this was brought to Joshua’s attention, he wanted Moses to stop them. Moses wouldn’t because he could see that their preaching was authentic, they had the power, the authority of the Spirit of God. Well, in the same way in our own times, there are many people of many faiths whose preaching is authentic. They may not be part of the Catholic Church, they may not even be Christian, but they still have a share of the Holy Spirit. “Hold on father! There is a dogma or article of faith that says that salvation comes through Jesus Christ. How can those who do not recognize the seven sacraments or those who are not Christian receive the Spirit of God? What about the words of Jesus “Unless you eat my body and drink by blood you will not have life within you?”[2]. well, God the Father saw the condition of mankind after the fall and sent His Son to offer the eternal sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. Jesus became one of us and allowed our world to do its worst to Him, sacrificing Himself to the Father for us. After his death and resurrection, the Lord was united to his Father in heaven. Together the Father and the Son sent their Spirit, the Holy Spirit, upon people of good will. Some of these people of good will are Catholic. Some people of good will are Christians but not Catholic. Some people of good will are not even Christian such as Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. They all have a share of the Spirit of the Father and the Son and are all in their own way doing the work of God. They should be respected and supported in their work. So then, the question arises quickly: is it acceptable for a Catholic to leave the Catholic faith and join a non-Catholic religion since that religion also has a share in the Spirit of God? When I am asked that question, I respond, “I need Jesus Christ, and I find Him in the words and sacraments of the Catholic church.” For any of us to leave the Catholic Church would be for us to leave the Eucharist, to leave the seven sacraments. With the exception of our Orthodox brothers and sisters, no other faith believes that Jesus is really and truly present in the Eucharist as well as the other sacraments. For us to turn from Catholicism to another faith would be for us to turn from a truth we have been called to, the truth of the Eucharist, the truth of the sacraments. We recognize that people of other faiths share in the Spirit of the Father and the Son and proclaim His Truth. We celebrate their proclamation and join them in works of charity. We pray with them and for them. But at the same time, we also recognize that we have been given a share in the Spirit of the Father and the Son which includes the Presence of the Son nourishing us in the Eucharist, forgiving us in the sacrament of Confession, binding His Love to that of the husband and wife in the Sacrament of Matrimony, etc. So, for us to leave the Catholic Church would entail our leaving the sacraments. It is said that millennials and others have done just that, left the Catholic Church to worship in various evangelical Churches. I do not hazard to assume to know why each person who leaves the Church does so, but I do think that our teaching on the Eucharist and the other sacraments need to be strengthened so that those in the Catholic Church have a deeper understanding of the great gifts we have been given. We need to pray together and work together, but we cannot sacrifice our Catholic identity. We join people of good will, people who have received a portion of the Spirit, as who we are. We are Catholic. Eldad and Medad were not in the Meeting Tent. But the Spirit of prophecy would not be confined by the institutional structure of the time. Nor can it be contained by institutional structures of our time. Eldad and Medad proclaimed God’s Truth. We also need to proclaim God’s truth through our Catholic Church and with those who are not part of the Catholic Church. So, this morning we can pray for a deeper understanding and respect for the Spirit of Truth wherever it may assert itself • AE
[1] Cf Nm 11:25-29; Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 [2] Cf John 6.
Fr. Agustin’s Schedule for Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday, September 25, 2021.
3.30 p.m. to 4.55 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation
5.00 p.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic Catholic Church
Sunday, September 26, 2021.
7.30 a.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic Catholic Church
10.00 a.m. English Mass @ St. Dominic Catholic Church
Domingo XXVI del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo B)
Los cristianos no terminamos de superar esa mentalidad de -digámoslo así- casta privilegiada que nos impide apreciar todo el bien que se realiza en ámbitos alejados de la fe. Con frecuencia tendemos a pensar que somos los únicos portadores de la verdad, y que el Espíritu de Dios sólo actúa a través de nosotros. Una falsa interpretación del mensaje de Jesús nos ha conducido a veces a identificar el reino de Dios con la Iglesia. Según esta concepción, el reino de Dios se realizaría dentro de la Iglesia, y crecería y se extendería en la medida en que crece y se extiende la Iglesia. Pero no es asín. El reino de Dios se extiende más allá de la institución eclesial. No crece sólo entre los cristianos sino entre todos los hombres de buena voluntad que hacen crecer en el mundo la fraternidad. Según Jesús, todo aquél que arroja demonios en su nombre, está evangelizando. Es verdad: todo hombre, grupo u organización capaz de arrojar lejos a los demonios de nuestra sociedad y de colaborar en la construcción de un mundo mejor, está, de alguna manera, abriendo camino al reino de Dios. También a nosotros como a los discípulos, podría parecernos que no son de los nuestros aquellos que no vienen a nuestras parroquias, sin embargo, según Jesús «el que no está contra nosotros, está a favor nuestro»[1]. Todos los que, de alguna manera, luchan por la causa del hombre, están con nosotros. Allí donde se lucha por los humillados, los aplastados, los débiles, los abandonados, allí se combate en realidad con Dios por su reino, se sepa o no, él lo sabe» (G. Crespy). En menos palabras: los cristianos deberíamos valorar con gozo los logros humanos, grandes o pequeños, y los triunfos de la justicia que se alcanzan en el campo político, económico o social, por pequeños que puedan parecer. Lejos de creernos en posesión del monopolio de la salvación, los cristianos deberíamos acoger con alegría y gratitud esa corriente de salvación que se abre camino en la historia de los hombres, no sólo en la Iglesia, sino también junto a ella y más allá de sus instituciones. A esto nos invita la liturgia de la Palabra esta mañana • AE
[1] Cfr. Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
LA MEDITACION DE LA ESPOSA 