READINGS
1.Ez 33:7-9
2.Rom 13:8-10
3.Mt 18:15-20
THEME OF THE READINGS: "BROTHERLY CORRECTION"
From the first reading we learn a lesson from prophet Ezekiel who realizes how badly things were going on in his community and with this in mind he corrects the bad morals of his community. His duty is to spell out the mistakes and wrong doings done in his community, furthermore, his duty is to make the people understand that they have moved away from God and are ruining their lives. If the prophet does not do this he is held responsible for People's mistakes and wrong doing in case of any disaster.
The Gospel today tells us how we should behave towards someone who does wrong .The law of Love demands that we try to help them to return to the right path. The question is how?Instead of ghosping to our brothers and sisters about their wrong doings and spreading news of what they have done, Jesus gives us the right way to deal with them in giving a self and correct correction. The following are altenatives offered by Jesus.
He says "Speak to them personally, face to face, furthermore, this has to be done in privacy. This stage is so sensitive
-The second step is to ask the help of one or two warm-hearted people to discuss into the matter.
-The last recourse is to the community. In the community, this should take place only where what happened may affect others particularly those weaker in faith. If all fails the person becomes outcast or like a tax collector. If brotherly correction is not done in love then it becomes a form of violance.Brotherly correction done in violance is unfortunately the type of brotherly correction that children sometimes do calling each other names and punching each other. Giving correction in LOVE is what parents do, what teachers do to students, and what a friend do to friends etc.
The second reading today from Paul's letter to the Romans states
Owe nothing to any one, except to love one another: for the one who loves
another has fulfilled the law............You shall love your neighbour as your self
Love doe no evil to the neighbour; hence love is the fulfilliment of the law
(Rom 13:8-10)
There is a danger that may occur when we are afraid to carry out a brotherly correction, gossip. Cardinal schborn in his book " My Jesus: Encountering Christ in the Gospel writes " we talk with everyone we can about the faults of the other person himself.This backbiting is almost a national past time for us. The person affected is often the last to find out that his faults are being discussed..........Gossiping is unmerciful ( P110)
The solution proposed to the Church in the gospel today requires much more maturity.There are ways of speaking the truth that will make the truth more acceptable. The church is the loving mother and and teaches out of love and concern for her children and there are reasons why the church teaches what she does.
The other form of brotherly correction in the gospel is excommunication, it is the most severe form of brotherly correction. Excommunication is meant to shock the offender into realizing seriousness of the offence and returning to communion with the church. Communion in the church reflects the communion in the Holy trinity. When there is a communion in the church we expect the church to flourish.
How many times workers at their working places are accused of the wrong doings by their fellow workers to their bosses without in a first place to meet them and correct them? when the scandal leaks out we want to claim we did not know. But such ignorance is rejected in Ezekiel where the Lord says " I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel and in plain words he went on to say " if you do not warn the wicked man to renounce his ways then I will hold you responsible.
Thus as we celebrate this 23rd Sunday let us ponder on our ways of correcting our brothers and sisters, fraternal correction should be done in a such a way that it will be accepted in a good manner by the subject being corrected. Wisdom and Spirit of understand have to be asked from God when we plan to make a correction to our brothers and sisters.
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Chapisha Maoni