23rd Sunday in Year A

Sunday readings in Brief

Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 94(95); Romans 13: 8-10; Mathew 18: 15-20

“The Christian Way”

Dear friends, today is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the world today, there are many ways to do things. The way we handle situations is influenced by many factors such as relationships, level of education, political affiliation, religion, economic interests, culture, and many others. It is very difficult for us to be objective or neutral. Knowingly or unknowingly, these factors determine how we handle the situations

Today’s readings are talking about the “Christian Way” of doing things. In the first reading, we hear that it is the responsibility of everyone to correct others who are going astray. The passage says that if we fail in that responsibility and the wicked man dies in his sins, we will be held responsible. We have many examples to illustrate this in our day-to-day life. How many of us have relatives, friends, or neighbors who have gone astray? Some do not go to Church despite being baptized. Others are drunkards or drug addicts who have messed up their families and their own health is deteriorating every day. Others who despite being strong and talented are lazy idlers who do not contribute anything to the progress of their lives and their families. Others are our colleagues who hold public offices but are corrupt and do not serve their responsibilities with integrity. Others are our friends who bring us gossip and waste our time. It is our Christian responsibility to correct them.

As the psalmist tells us, “O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts”. We too shouldn’t only point fingers at others. The word of God is also directed to us and is calling us to soften our hearts so that we can listen to its instructions.

Europe St. Paul tells us that love is the answer to all other commandments. If we love those around us, we will not commit any wrong against them. If we lack love, we cannot fulfill any other commandment. To learn more about what Paul means by love, read his first letter to the Corinthians 13:1-13.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus is instructing us how to handle conflict with our brothers and sisters. When we feel aggrieved by a brother or a sister, it is good to have a one-to-one approach to try and solve the matter. This gives us an opportunity to find out the reason why they wronged us. Perhaps we realize that it was our misunderstanding or misinterpretation, or maybe we had something to do with it. Many times, we do not confront others when we feel they have wronged us, but we start hurling insults at them, gossiping about them, holding grudges against them or even hurting them. If we do as Jesus is advising us, we will solve many conflicts before they escalate into enmity or disaster.

“If the brother or sister does not listen to you”, Jesus continues, “Go along with two or three others”, to prosecute your case and these will be your witnesses. Having others with you helps to avoid dangerous confrontations in case there is no consensus. They will also help to interpret things and mediate between both of you. Again, “If he or she does not listen to these, report the matter to the community”. The community serves as a jury to determine and put the matter at rest. Finally, “If he or she refuses to listen to the community”, treat him or her like a pagan or a tax collector. It means letting go and moving on. Jesus proposes to us a comprehensive method to deal with conflicts that do not involve any violence. Violence does not solve conflicts, it aggravates them, and the end is broken families, relationships, and communities.

Dear friends, we all have had conflicts with someone around us or we are nursing one now. How are we handling it so far? Have we tried the method that Jesus is prescribing for us in the Gospel passage today? There is nothing to lose in trying it out and seeing the results. Again, we have people around us that we feel are going astray and the future is brink for them. What are we doing to correct them before it is too late?

Have a responsible Sunday.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD