February 23, St. Polycarp 

 O Lord, great peace have they who love your law. — Psalm 119:165 

Mass Readings: Sirach 4:11-19 / Mark 9:38-40 

No Monopoly 

In today’s Gospel, a man casts out demons in Jesus’ name and Jesus’ disciples react in a hostile fashion. They zero in on the fact that the man is not part of their group (“he does not follow us”), but lose sight of the truth that the man is acting in the name of Jesus. 

Sometimes, we feel threatened by other Christians groups — who adopt a different style of worship, pray differently, or act or react differently — but none of us has a monopoly on God. The Spirit moves as He wills, not always conforming to the boundaries or pre-requisites we spell out. In his book “Seasons of the Word,” Father Denis McBride warns, “The cause of Catholicism is not served by the rejection of other ways of Christian discipleship.” 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to recognize and respect Your work in and through other Christians.