Do not stop people from doing good things and recognize the good they do! We need to have the humility to recognize that the work of the Holy Spirit is not confined to what we approve of, or even what the Church formally approves. God is doing good things everywhere and through anyone He chooses.
In that sense, God is always sovereign. We see this reflected in the First Reading from the Book of Numbers. 72 men were called to the tent to receive from God some of the Spirit that had been poured upon Moses. 70 arrive at the tent, but the two left behind in the camp still receive God’s Spirit.
Young Joshua wants to put a stop to it, but Moses recognizes that God is acting on his own and the proper response should be gratitude! Similarly in today’s Gospel passage from St. Mark others are doing good things in the name of Jesus, but they do not belong to Jesus’ inner circle.
The apostles want to stop them! But Jesus, like Moses, recognizes that something good is happening, and the Holy Spirit should not be stifled!
We can defend the authority of the Church without having to cancel out the good other people or groups may be doing. If we are open to the Holy Spirit, we may hear His voice calling us in new ways of showing us new things. Let us honor Almighty God, both within the Church and beyond her! When we see others doing good, let us honor it and be thankful.
The fall months are a time of harvest, gathering, and gleaning, and will culminate with the national holiday of Thanksgiving. We are too often focused on our problems and forget the many blessings for which we can be thankful. God is doing good things every day, everywhere.
Ask your parishioners to start building a habit of thanksgiving by training their minds and hearts to see God’s goodness each day and offering a short prayer of thanksgiving. They may have heard a kind word, seen a lovely flower, seen someone feeding the homeless – whatever it may be, then quietly within say “Thanks be to God.”
You can use your GC Smart Text during the week to remind them to develop the “attitude of gratitude.”
Pastoral Action Points
- Giving Tuesday is coming up fast! There’s still time for your ministry to participate. GiveCentral is here to help you to get started. Learn more at https://www.givecentral.org/
giving-tuesday - The Memorial of St. Francis is next week. You can plan a blessing of the animals and use GC SmartTools to invite your parishioners and their pets!
