Sunday, 9/30/12
Today’s readings tell us to have respect for members of the
other Christian churches.
That is the message of the first reading. In it when Moses
had gathered together seventy clan
elders at one and the same moment they were all swept into a prophetic state.
They felt God was speaking through them.
Now, there were two clan elders, Eldad and Medad, who had
not been there when the others were swept into that prophetic state. It shocked
the seventy when they witnessed Eldad and Medad prophesying like they had. But
Moses told them not to feel bad about Eldad and Medad prophesying. God could
have given them the spirit.
Similarly, in the Gospel when John tried to stop strangers
from using Our Lord’s name to drive out demons, Jesus told him not to stop
them. He told John, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”
Those of us who grew up before Vatican II did not know what
the make of that advise. We had been told to stay clear of Protestants. We were
told it was a sin to join with them in any religious activity. At Vatican II
the Church confessed it had been wrong about that. In its document on Ecumenism
it said, “Many of the elements and endowments which together give life to the
Church can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church.”
I don’t think the church has revoked Vatican II, Christians
should be free to like and respect one another.
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