Gospel of Mark, chapter 9:39

Many of us believe in the old saying: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” True, but not entirely true. When it comes to God’s Spirit, the old adages of the past do not fit. The Spirit of God will not be pigeonholed, will not relegated to some comfortable little slot in our lives and dealings. The Spirit beckons: urges us to alertness, calls us to see through new eyes, and dares us to discover God in every aspect of creation. The Spirit, like a gentle breeze, motivates us to live life more fully.

In today’s scripture, Jesus warns His followers about resisting the Spirit, reminding them that no matter what their position as Disciples is, they are not in charge of God’s gifts. As Catholics this lesson is one we continually need to call to mind and seriously take to heart. Refusing to acknowledge the good deeds and gifts of others is surely one of the greatest of “scandals”. The Disciples in today’s gospel were guilty of hoarding the Spirit when they tried to prevent others, “not of (their) company” from doing good, but, this is not the Christian attitude. Jesus did not come for a special clique or class of people, but for all people of good will.

Living in the Spirit means living with the best kind of attitude. All of us have our own unique style that is an extension of our personalities. Style is not mere ornament; it is of the essence. To live in the spirit means being a person with a rounded personality; a person, for example, who is draped with the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love. A person with real Spirit is one who knows Jesus as a friend, and who knows the meaning of living gracefully according to the will of God. This means being able to recognize the workings of grace among those who are not of our company; those of other denominations, and faiths. We are all children of God, and God’s spirit moves freely whenever it wills. It can touch the heart of a Buddhist; the heart of a Hindu; the heart of a Muslim; and the hearts of all people of good will.

The Holy Spirit frees us from prejudice and from the downward pull of human selfishness. So, let us not stifle this gift of the Spirit.

Fr. Hugh Duffy