The readings of today, 26th Sunday in Ordinary time, offer us insight into the workings of God's spirit. He neither discriminates nor confines himself to human limitations. In the first reading, Eldad and Medad were filled with the Spirit even though they were not with the other elders in gathering. The Gospel also shows a man reported to be casting out devil in the name of Christ while not one of the disciples. 

The message is that those outside our group are also children of God and God can work in and with them any time he chooses. The reason for this is that good is objectively good: it is good regardless of the person who is doing it. This is why the Church teaches that persons who do not know the Catholic faith can be saved by their cooperation with hidden graces to lead good lives to the best of their capability. Those also can attain salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of right conscience. Divine Providence does not deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with his grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found among such persons is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel (Gaudium et spes 16). 

The message also challenges the "it-must-be-from-me or us" mentality. Many things go wrong because we are not open to any contribution from outside of us. Good to ask: must everything come from you? Can some other person do something good? Is your wife, husband, child, brother, sister, friend, employee or neighbor capable of any useful suggestion? Even some political leaders often would rather have the people suffer than employ good ideas which have not come from their political party or allies. We are thus invited to review our approach to those outside our group or those who have different opinions. 

May the Lord grant us the grace of reaching out to the ‘other’ with love, to achieve the unity which Christ prayed for: One sheep, one Shepher