Dear friends in Christ

In the first reading of the Mass this weekend the Old Testament Book of Numbers recounts how Moses asked the Lord to give his spirit to other elders of the tribe. Moses did not feel that he had sufficient strength to carry all the responsibility by himself. So the Lord took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. These men congregated at the Tent and began to prophesy right away. Joshua asked Moses to forbid them from doing so. Moses responded: If only the whole people of the Lord would be prophets, and the Lord gave his spirit to them all! The Gospel for today's Mass concerns a somewhat similar event. John approaches Jesus to report that the apostles have seen a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Since he does not belong to their circle, the apostles try to stop him. But Jesus corrects John by saying: You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me.

Every one of us is called to extend the kingdom of Christ. Every situation in our world is a good opportunity for bringing this about. Whenever God opens the door for the word in order to declare the mystery of Christ, then the living God, and He whom He has sent for the salvation of all, Jesus Christ, are confidently and perseveringly proclaimed to all people (Vatican II, Ad Gentes,13). We who have received the gift of faith should feel the need to share it with others. With the lives of the first Christians as our model, we can ask ourselves again, whether or not we are proclaiming Jesus Christ in the midst of our world.

Next week our Diocese will launch our hope for an planned environmental and sustainability project; you will find details of this in the Newsletter next week, together with some relevant literature. Also next Sunday there will be the annual Mission Appeal for the Comboni Missions.

God bless you all in the week ahead!

Msgr Kevin Hale