The Gospel of Mark, chapter 9:39-40

The focus of today’s scripture is on judging others- those we judge as friends and those we judge as enemies. Most of us assume that our friends are those who are most like us. If we are white, we imagine our friends will be white also, If we are professional people, we expect that our friends will be drawn from that class. If we are educated, we expect that our friends will be educated too. But, today’s scripture gives us a different slant on relationships.

We are reminded in St. Mark’s gospel, chapter nine, that help and friendship often come from unexpected sources. People who were not of Jesus’ company, performed ‘good works.’ Jesus’ followers had a problem with this. Christians say that the gospel shows a preferential option for the poor. Once we do this, we may discover that some people who were not of our company and used to look like enemies, now look more like friends. In Latin America, many committed Christians who love the poor have discovered that some who call themselves Communists share the same concern as themselves, and some, who make a great display of love of God, do not care about the poor at all. It is always strange how God raises up voices of prophecy from the most unexpected quarters.

St. John Bosco was hated and resented by many of the religious people of his day. He went beyond the traditional practice of the priesthood in his day and settled among the very poor. He did not work in a parish or even for a diocese. Instead, he spent his time gathering together homeless boys who roamed the streets of Turin, Italy, raising havoc wherever they went. They were uncouth, dirty, foul-mouthed and dishonest. No respectable man or woman wanted any part of them. These urchins provided the large labor pool for Turin’s new industries. They had a place in society’s factories, but they had no respect or future in the industrial society which used them. At least, not until St. John Bosco came along. Some furious opponents of John Bosco tried to kill him, but God sent him a most unusual protector; a dog who sensed his enemies and protected him from them. How strange is the way the Lord works. What interesting prophets and messengers He sends us.

Not so long ago, some Catholics were unashamedly anti-Protestant and some Protestants thrived on being anti-Catholic. Today, all that is different. Different religious denominations have discovered in each other strength and support in their struggle against evil; especially social evils such as drugs, pornography, violence and poverty.

God always confounds the clever and sends His Spirit to speak when and where we least expect it.

Fr. Hugh Duffy