The one who is with me cannot be against me

Eccles. 4:12-22, Mk 9:38-40. It is said that wisdom is a quality that is dearly won and the acquisition depends on painful experience, making it seem distant and difficult to master. Sirach recognises this with poetic flair in today's first reading: “Wisdom walks with us at first as a stranger and she puts us to a test; Fear and dread she brings on us and tries us with her discipline; With her precepts she puts us to the proof, until our heart is fully with her". Wisdom integrates ideas with practice and enables us to live with and respond to one another as persons.

We are not automations that are pushed around by laws; instead, we interact with patience and forbearance, with interest and enthusiasm, with responsibility and self-control. This kind of wisdom has to be grown into, slowly and carefully, so that it becomes totally ourselves. As a man of wisdom, Jesus reprimanded His disciples for their envy. Feeling threatened, or at least slighted, by some villager who went about using the name of Jesus to expel demons, they said indignantly to Jesus, “We tried to stop him, because he is not of our company". Instead of Jesus to inquire about the doctrinal position of the man Jesus says: “No one can perform a miracle in my name and at the same time speak ill of me. Anyone who is not against us is with us". This is to say that we need to tolerate others around us.

May the Lord strengthen our will to give up selfishness so that we may be able to tolerate others! Amen!! Good morning, it is well with you!!!