Sunday, September 8, 2002
23nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Ezk 33:7-9
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: For your part, son
of man, I have set you as a watchman for Israel, and when you hear my
word, you must give them my warning. When I say to the wicked: 'Wicked
man, you shall die for sure,' if you do not warn the wicked man to turn
from his ways, he will die because of his sin, but I will also call you
to account for his blood. If you warn the wicked man to turn from his
ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you yourself
will be saved.
2nd Reading: Rom 13:8-10
Brothers and sisters, do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only
debt of one to another: Love. The one who loves his or her neighbor fulfilled
the Law. For the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do
not covet and whatever else are summarized in this one: You will love
your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm; so love
fulfills the whole Law.
Gospel:
Mt 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples, "If your brother or sister has sinned
against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private,
and if he listens to you, you have won your brother. If you are not listened
to, take with you one or two others so that the case may be decided by
the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to
the Church, then regard such a one as a pagan or a publican.
I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and
whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.
In like manner, I say to you: if on earth two of you are united in asking
for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where
two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them."
Commentary
Does loving the sinner mean condoning the sin? Of course not! Love demands
active concern for a brother or sister whose choices harm others and even
themselves. 1 Cor 13:4-7 and Mt 7:3-5 reflect the selfless love and self-knowledge
needed before trying to live today's gospel.
Our culture, too, is challenged: the fact that we are family or friends
does not excuse turning a blind eye to each other's wrong doing. Yet truth
and love are not opposites - a brother's or sister's honest courage to
tell me firmly that my choices are destroying relationships may be the
very act of love which opens my eyes to the seriousness of my course.