23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Reflection: Seeking reconciliation
By THE REV. JOHN MUIR
A few summers ago, my family had a big reunion. It included my parents, my four siblings and all their many children.
One of my favorite moments was simply watching my parents’ contented faces as they took in all of us together, laughing, sharing food, singing, telling stories. They loved seeing their children happily together with each other.
That is something like the heart of God we see in today’s Gospel message about Christian reconciliation. These verses come right after Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. He is not giving the disciples a cold formula for dealing with conflict. He is revealing the Father’s longing for children who love and reconcile with each other. His heart aches when his children are divided and isolated.
So when Jesus says, “Go and tell your brother his fault,” He is not deputizing us as morality police. He is inviting us into his mission of reconciliation. When he adds, “If he listens to you, you have won over your brother,” we glimpse the real goal. Not winning arguments but reuniting a divided family.
These days, we often think religion is just between God and me. But the Father’s dream is about a lively family, one in which His children forgive, gather, and rejoice together.
Lord Jesus, give me the courage to seek reconciliation where it is needed. Make my heart resemble the Father’s heart, longing and working for unity among His children.
First Reading
(Ezekiel 33: 7-9)
Thus says the LORD:
You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;
when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.
If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die, ”
and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way,
the wicked shall die for his guilt,
but I will hold you responsible for his death.
But if you warn the wicked,
trying to turn him from his way,
and he refuses to turn from his way,
he shall die for his guilt,
but you shall save yourself.
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 95)
Second Reading
(Romans 13: 8-10)
Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, ”
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Gospel
(Matthew 18: 15-20)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”