Gospel (Mk 9,38-43.45.47-48) - At that time, John said to Jesus: "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we wanted to stop him, because he did not follow us." But Jesus said: «Do not prevent him, because there is no one who works a miracle in my name and can immediately speak evil of me: whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a glass of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, will not lose his reward. Whoever scandalizes even one of these little ones who believe in me, it is much better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck and he be thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to scandal, cut it off: it is better for you to enter life with one hand, rather than with two hands to go into Geènna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off: it is better for you to enter life with one foot, rather than being thrown into Gehenna with both feet. And if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it away: it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." .

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

«If only they were all prophets among the Lord's people!» Today we make this invocation of Moses our own. Who is the prophet? A prophet is someone who does not speak for himself and lets himself be guided by the word and the Spirit of God. The prophet does not limit himself to the narrow horizon of his present, he does not resign himself to the selfish and material mentality of men, he looks at men as a single people , with the hope of those who do not think only of themselves, but of those who look at life and the world with the eyes of God. If only they were all prophets in this divided and torn world! Yes, there is a need for prophets who seek what unites and put aside what divides. Jesus teaches us to look at the world around us differently and to have an open gaze free from prejudice, because it is full of love for every man. So, when the disciples realize that there is someone who casts out demons in the name of Jesus, but he is not one of them, they want to prevent him. Jesus then says: «Do not prevent him, because there is no one who performs a miracle in my name and can immediately speak badly of me, whoever is not against us is for us». Good is contagious and is the only true force that overcomes evil. And the fight against evil is important, he asks us to find allies and not isolate ourselves. Whoever uses the name of Jesus becomes a prophet, does not perform signs in a personal capacity but indicates that good comes only from the Lord. We should always remember that everything we do in reality is always and only in his name and not in ours, and how much attention, wisdom and intelligence we must use, knowing that we bear the name of Jesus, as Christians! Jesus uses harsh words towards those who scandalize "even one of these little ones" who believe in him. And the little ones believe in him because they have no one else in this world to discard them. Jesus then proposes to start from himself. Love for others always requires some cuts, always requires some renunciation. Obviously these are not mutilations to be carried out, but rather changes to be implemented in attitudes and hearts. In fact, we generally have our eyes focused only on ourselves; hands working only for our things; the feet that move only about our business. Let's take at least one eye off ourselves and we will certainly be happier. Let us use at least one hand to help those who suffer and we will taste the same joy of Jesus. Let us move our steps on the path of the Gospel and we will be witnesses of God's love. Thus we will understand what Jesus says: «Whoever wants to save his life, will lose; but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, he will save it."