Liturgy Alive, Models of Celebrations

Jas 4:13 –17; Ps 49:2 –3, 6 – 7, 8 –10, 11; Mk 9:38 – 40

Daily Gospel

First Reading: Jas 4:13 –17

Beloved:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into
such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and
make a profit”— you have no idea what your life will be like
tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and
then disappears. Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it,
we shall live to do this or that.” But now you are boasting in
your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So for one who knows
the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 49:2 –3, 6 – 7, 8 –10, 11

R./ Blessed are the poor in spirit;
      the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all who dwell in the world,
Of lowly birth or high degree,
rich and poor alike.
R./ Blessed are the poor in spirit;
      the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R./ Blessed are the poor in spirit;
      the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one’s life;
he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R./ Blessed are the poor in spirit;
      the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

For he can see that wise men die,
and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,
leaving to others their wealth.
R./ Blessed are the poor in spirit;
      the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Gospel Reading Introduction
"He or she is not one of us" becomes easily an excuse for denying or belittling the good done by others, especially if they are not Catholics. Remember how before Vatican II the Church spoke of Protestants, communists, and socialists... Even today there is a certain hesitancy to recognize the good done by people "who do not belong." And Vatican II asked us not to think merely of our inner Church interests, for it gave us the pastoral document on The Church in the Modern World. Jesus appreciated whatever good done by anyone, whether belonging to the group or not.

Gospel Reading: Mk 9:38 – 40

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.”

Commentary

The Holy Name of Jesus is the name that is more powerful than any other name. The one driving out demons in the name of Jesus could not have been doing so in opposition to the Lord's mission, and Jesus is quick to tell the apostles just that. By their fruits does one recognize those who are close to the Lord.

The Lord often works in unconventional ways. Good things can happen in the name of Jesus, even in the least expected places. We must thank God that He is bigger than our imagination.

General Intercessions

- For the Church we love, that it may bring forgiveness and love to all, welcome all, care for all, inspire all with the gentle power of the Holy Spirit, we pray:

- For lawmakers, that the Spirit may prompt them to make good laws that are fair to all, we pray:

- For outcasts and victims of discrimination, that our communities may accept them fully and make our love so spontaneous and warm that they feel accepted, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son ate with sinners and tax collectors
while the devout people of his time
blamed both him and the weak.
Accept us at his table and teach us not to exclude anyone
with a "holier-than-you" attitude.
Do not allow us to condemn
those who are different or act differently
but make us accept them as you accept us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
you have given us the privilege
to hear the Word of your Son and to share his table,
not because we are better than others
but simply because you are good.
Do not allow us to become hard
or to look down with pride on others
but keep reminding us
that we are in constant need of conversion
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We should learn to appreciate whatever good is done by whatever person. The Spirit inspires many people to do good in a variety of ways. Good for them! May almighty God bless them and you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.