Reflection for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time by FAN Board Member, Sr. Marge Wissman
This reflection was originally posted in our September 24th newsletter
This week’s scriptures readings acknowledge that God calls all people to be part of the kingdom without making distinctions among groups, races, or nationalities.
In the first reading, God bestowed the spirit on Moses and the elders and they begin to prophesy. Eldad and Medad were not present with the others but they also received the spirit and began to prophesy. One young man complained to Moses that the two outsiders should not be prophesying. Moses rejected this complaint because he believed in inclusiveness and no one should be left out of the benefits of God’s spirit.
In the second reading, James criticizes those who have become wealthy by taking advantage of others. James leaves us with the presumption that God will carry out appropriate justice toward them.
In the Gospel, as in the First Reading, John comes to Jesus to complain that someone who was not a member of the disciples was expelling demons in the name of Jesus. Jesus makes it clear that he has no problem with this and makes no distinction between “outsiders” and “insiders”. Jesus makes a strong statement that he would only have a problem with those who would harm the faith of others.
It is very clear in all of the readings for this Sunday that Jesus’ call for his disciples to spread the good news is a universal call and is not contingent on Membership in a certain group, social class, or race.
This is a message for our country today if we also want to be a member of God’s Kingdom!
Sr. Marge Wissman
FAN Board Member
Acting Franciscan 
Excellent points. I would, however, argue that the category of “species” should be included, as non-human animals constitute a group whose inclusion in the moral community should also not be “contingent on membership in a certain group, social class, or race.”
The exploitation and violence waged against non-human persons is intrinsically connected to the exploitation and violence humans wage against one another. Sexism, racism, classicism, ageism and speciesism are all different sides of the same unjust coin. Indeed, all of these forms of discrimination have in common the exclusion of sentient individuals based on morally-irrelevant criteria.
We will never have true peace nor a just society until we begin to practice nonviolence toward all beings, whether human or nonhuman. As Tolstoy famously observed, “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.”
Vegan Starter Kit: https://www.internationalvegan.org/wp-content/uploads/IVA-Vegan-Starter-Kit-v2-web.pdf
Tracy McDonnell
http://www.HowDoIGoVegan.com