Mass readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Numbers 11.25-29 Psalm 10.7, 9, 11-13 James 5.1-6 Mark 9.38-42, 47-48
The last couple of weeks the homily has been a little longer – I thank everyone for their forbearance. The bishops are anxious we understand the importance of this Forward Together in Christ program because it is directly informed by the Holy Father’s call to synodality – journeying together in a spirit-led process of discernment. This is not like programs that have come before. There is a need for us to prepare. Indeed, in the report, there are many of recommendations that focus on the necessity of intentional formation in the faith, its traditions and theology for it to work. That was something our own parish delegation said in its report to us – we have learning to do. Yet it’s not all about education.
I’ve made an effort in past weeks to explain why this is different: that’s its an attempt to truly open the Church to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and escape the worldly thinking that has frustrated our efforts for the past fifty years. We’ve been stumbling from one failed attempt to another, trying to entice, trick, finagle, cajole people into coming to church. Like the man who we hear of in today’s gospel, casting out demons in Jesus’ name yet not being a true disciple, we invoke our Lord’s name, but offer to people ourselves and our works as the reason to be here. We forget that people don’t need us, they need Christ; and where we make ourselves the focus of the appeal, we are a stumbling block.
I don’t want to be the cause of anyone’s stumbling. The consequences are plain enough: better a millstone were hung around my neck and I were tossed into the sea! This verse has long haunted me! Especially as I look at it again and note it does not exempt me even if what I’ve done was inadvertent. I am responsible for my error that leads others to stumble, to fall away from the faith; and so, I am to ensure that what I say as preacher, teacher, priest, but also brother in Christ, is indeed of the authentic Apostolic Tradition in terms of scriptural interpretation, the worship of this community, the catechizing of children, youth and adults, and so on. If my faithful testimony is rejected, well, that’s not on me.
This should be your concern as well, insofar as any of you leads, even in a seemingly modest capacity – we must mutually keep ourselves from stumbling and be conscious of how grievous it is for someone to fall away from Christ on account of our error.
Yet, today’s gospel seems inconsistent in this call to be cautious about how we offer the gospel to others by word and example, because Jesus seems unconcerned by someone outside the community of disciples who is acting in his name, without any accountability to our Lord – I mean, what is this guy saying to people? What is he teaching? This is of concern to the disciples because whatever that may be, the working of miracles will be taken by people as validating what he has said and done as being from Jesus. So, they try to stop him.
But Jesus says, don’t try to stop him.
“…no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.”
So, what are we to take from this? It would appear that on one hand we have a lackadaisical approach: who cares what we’re doing as long as we mention Jesus a lot. On the other, a tremendous anxiety over making mistakes and so, imperilling the souls of others.
Our own St. Augustine weighs in on this; this seeming inconsistency has long been noticed. And if there ever was an instance where the Apostolic Tradition is needed to help us with reading the Bible, here it is.
St. Augustine twigs on the matter of this person claiming to be connected to Jesus as someone doing real miracles. Yet it’s clear, he’s outside the community. Our accountability is not changed by this. We are to be careful in our care of souls. This is about how we look upon those who we might say are ‘flirting’ with Christianity, often because of a profound experience they’ve had that tells them there’s something going on here, and it might just be of God; and indeed, there are those who do actual works of power. There are people who do heal others, who do exorcise demons. Now, they may do it in the name of psychology or psychiatry, but should they ever do it and claim that Jesus is the source of the healing power, how long could they put off investigating the why and wherefore of this healing power? And then discover the truth of the gospel, and so come, as so many have of late, to speak quite charitably of the Church for what it has actually done to the good of our civilization. We’re starting to see many a celebrity actor, scientist, public intellectual these days saying there might be something to this Christianity thing!
In St. Augustine’s day, he contended with heresy and schism. The heretics were in the Church, and spreading false teaching as they occupied high ecclesiastical office and administered the sacraments. Schismatics of his time had split entirely from the Church, yet their worship looked indistinguishable from Catholics; and they were actually the majority of the Christian population in Augustine’s city of Hippo. Both the schismatics and the heretics celebrated mass, had the Eucharist at the centre of their community life. The Eucharist is the greatest miracle, and that miracle was occurring amidst the teaching of heresy and the sin of schism.
St. Augustine writes, “Thus the Church Catholic does not disapprove in heretics the sacraments, which are common [to us all].” Rather the Catholic Church condemns the division brought by opinions that are adverse to peace and contrary to the truth we know in Christ. (de Con. Evan. 4. 5.)
So, we can be oppose those with whom we share in the Eucharist because they advocate for things contrary to the Apostolic faith. We can attend a mass celebrated by a priest who preaches heresy, inadvertently or not, and be assured that the Eucharist is valid.
And when it comes to those who’ve split from the Church, who are outside yet claiming to speak for Christ, again, there’s no need for concern because we can recognize that by knowing the Catholic faith, we know the points of agreement we have with them. In attending a Catholic seminary, I read Soren Kierkegaard, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Paul Tillich, Lutherans; Jaroslav Pelikan, who was Orthodox; Karl Barth, a Calvinist; John Howard Yoder, a Mennonite. I take from them their insights with respect to Christian theology while recognizing they’ve no authority. I see the promise inherent in their words, that they are not far from the whole truth; and I am confident that our Lord brings them into the fullness of it, if only beyond this world.
St. Augustine learned from pagan philosophers and applied those things that were true and consistent with the Apostolic teaching. Augustine could benefit from non-Christian wisdom because he knew the Catholic faith well enough to discern when it was true and where it was false. He would then use those things in common as a means to bring people to the authentic faith. And we know that those who make a sincere effort to know the faith, starting from wherever they are, as agnostic, non-Christian, whatever, in coming to see Christ as the source of exorcism, of healing, they evangelize others even before they fully accept the faith.
Coming at the challenges of the Church delineated in this document (Forward Together in Christ), as I noted earlier, is the recurring theme of the sense of a weak grasp on our faith, its worship and its teaching. And yet, we have seen decades of tinkering with both, with respect to how we present doctrine (so as not to offend, usually) and changing our worship to make it appealing, but not according to anything found in the tradition. A lot of people as of late blame the Second Vatican Council for what’s happened – but there is nothing in the council’s documents that mandated the loss of reverence, or the idea that one can be selective about doctrine and still call oneself a faithful Catholic. This document is a recognition of our need for further enlightenment on the part of the faithful, lay and clergy alike, as our light in the world has grown dim.
So, we are called to know our tradition, abide by it, and pass it on faithfully. And we are not to hold over others who are in the process of coming to Christ our status as committed disciples. There are those who have flawed understanding, but their seeking holds out great promise as they join us in our growing enlightenment – and in that, we must rejoice.
Amen.