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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Lk 9:46-50): ... John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Virtuous tolerance

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, Jesus Christ fosters a bridge of "tolerance” —even of "healthy cooperation"— before the outburst of "exclusivity" from the apostle John, not in vain nicknamed "son of thunder ". It is a wake-up call in the forefront of the danger of intolerance and violence. To prevent the force of the Law itself from becoming injustice, it must be submitted to strict criteria which should be acknowledged as such by all.

Furthermore, humanitarian gestures which break with violence and seek the fellow man in the opponent and appeal to his own humanity, are also necessary, even when they seem, at first, to be a waste of time. A genuine "ius gentium" is urgently necessary, without hegemonic dominion and accompanying intentions: only in this way can it be evident that it is a matter of protecting the rights common to all, even of those who find themselves, so to speak, on the opposite side.

—O Lord, as a Christian I wish to learn the best way to mutual understanding, doing whatever possible so a correct conscience always prevails, preventing it from being trampled by ideologies or narrow minded-interests.