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Sunday, 7th September 2008
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 18:15-20Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.
‘In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
‘In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.’
God’s Spirit – Community: In today’s Gospel Jesus urges us to correct and challenge one another in our community to live in peace and unity. The centre of our Christian community is Christ our Lord. Will we seek the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit daily to live the Father’s Will?
- People are quite ready to accept the principle of “see no evil, hear no evil and do no evil.” This is “easy” and non-committal way of living.
- We are called to be responsible not only for all our own thoughts, words and deeds, but also for the welfare and salvation of others.
- How pro-active are we in responding to the needs of others e.g. our family, our neighbours, the poor and those who do not yet know the Good News of Salvation
Ez. 33:7-9;
Ps. 94:1-2,6-7,8-9;
Rom. 13:8-10;
Mt. 18:15-20
In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew makes reconciliation and forgiveness a pressing concern for all followers of Christ. It reminds us of the interactive function of behaviour of members of a Christian community. Christian fellowship is a powerful witness to Christ’s message of Love. We are aware that serious offences of any follower of Christ affect the spiritual well-being of that whole community. As such ‘Prayer’ as in verse 19 (If two or three are gathered in my name, I will be in their midst) is considered a community effort to intercede for the members who are ‘lost’ in the community and who need special care. This is affirmed in the first reading (Ez. 33:7-9). So the main purpose is to work towards reconciliation. This is enhanced by the awareness that Christ is in our midst to shepherd our decisions and actions.The power of prayer reveals the power of Christ’s presence within the community of believers. In fact this is the central part of Christian living. It is in prayer that we meet Jesus and live in His presence. This form of prayer also reflects the most basic element of our Christian faith — the commandment of love. St Paul in his letter to the Romans as in the second reading ( Rom. 13:8-10) reaffirms that ‘we must love our neighbours as ourselves.’
Lord, grant us the grace to be aware of our responsibility towards our community with the spirit of acceptance, understanding, fraternal correction thus living with one another in harmony and love.
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