1. Joshua wanted Moses to stop Eldad and Medad’s prophesying because they didn’t follow the rules. Can you relate to this kind of problem? Is Moses’ response in this reading related to Jesus’ response in the Gospel? How?

2. Does the Spirit work in religions other than your own? Ever? Always? What might the Spirit be doing? Do gifts in other people help you see what God might be doing through them? If the origin of a gift is not clearly the Spirit, would “by their fruits you shall know them” be a good test?

Second Reading
James 5:1-6

1. James says that wages withheld from the harvesters cry aloud to the Lord of hosts. How does his message apply today to arguments for federal minimum wage hike or for buying Fair Trade coffee? Or beefing up laws that would end human trafficking?

2. James says that the rich got their wealth at the expense of the poor. How would humane treatment relate to a living wage? To profound respect?

Gospel
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

1. John reports that no one outside the inner circle was to minister in Jesus’ name? What was Jesus’ response? Can anyone lay exclusive claim to the reign of God as Jesus revealed it?

2. Are the Holy Spirit’s actions limited by confines or boundaries? What is the Holy Spirit looking for in our communities? What does Pope Francis say Jesus is trying to teach us in this Gospel?

The temptation is to be “closed off.” The disciples would like to hinder a good deed simply because it is performed by someone who does not belong to their group. They think they have the “exclusive right over Jesus,” and that they are the only ones authorized to work for the Kingdom of God.

But we need to be vigilant about closure in the Church too. … Sometimes we too, instead of being humble and open communities, can give the impression of being the “top of the class” and keep others at a distance. Instead of trying to walk with everyone, we can show off our “believer’s license”: “I am a believer”, “I am Catholic”, “I belong to this association, to that one”, and the others, poor things, do not.

This is a sin. Showing off one’s “believer’s license” to judge and exclude. Let us ask for the grace to overcome the temptation to judge and to categorize, and may God preserve us from the “nest” mentality, that of jealously guarding ourselves in the small group of those who consider themselves good: the priest with his loyal followers, the pastoral workers closed off among themselves so that no one can infiltrate, the movements and associations in their own particular charism, and so on. Closed.

All this runs the risk of turning Christian communities into places of separation and not of communion. The Holy Spirit does not want closure; He wants openness, welcoming communities where there is a place for everyone

26 Sun Ord B Angelus
Pope Francis, Sept 26, 2021