Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20
Community living is an essential and integral part of our call as Christians. Being created in the image of the Holy Trinity, we possess an inherent desire and ability to live in communion with one another, even though this desire is often eclipsed by the concupiscence of our fallen nature.
This call to community living finds its expression in various levels: consecrated religious and biological families live under the same roof sharing everything in common, while parish communities and other faith-oriented groups live this spirit of union on a different level.
However, in all these levels, the ideal is to “preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). The readings of this week offer us some concrete tips and guidance to deal with an offending community member, one of the challenges we might face in living as a community or as a family.
First and foremost, these readings make us shake off the utopian idea of community and to come to terms with the reality that, despite the good will of the believers and the active presence of Christ, the Christian community will have some imperfections and will have to deal with challenges of erring disciples.
Let us not allow ourselves to be disillusioned because of the idiosyncrasies of some individuals, or of leaders of high rank in the community or their scandalous behaviours. Instead, the readings exhort us to exercise our responsibility of gaining back the stray.
While the first reading reminds us of our responsibility to ‘warn’ the erring, the Gospel gives us different steps of correcting. Both the readings emphasise reconciliation, and not straight away elimination or ostracising.
Jesus tells us in the Gospel that the first step in giving correction should be personal and in secret. Often we find it easier to go around gossiping about the offender, rather than to go directly to the concerned and to address the issue personally.
When the correction is done personally, it is less likely for the offender to become defensive. If that does not work, then we opt for the presence of two or three witnesses, and if that also does not bring out the desired result, then the extreme step is taken by the Church.
St Paul gives us valuable and practical suggestions to approach the transgressors: “My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit” (Galatians 6:1).
Sometimes we wonder if anyone would change when a mistake is pointed out. Possibly many a time we might have corrected our loved ones but in vain. You must have felt like having wasted your words on deaf ears.
It is true that our words of advice or correction may not produce much of the result, but when we do so in a spirit of gentleness, miracles will happen because God will take over, for the word of God says: “correcting opponents with gentleness, God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 25-26).
I would conclude with words of wisdom from St Jerome Emiliani, the universal patron of the needy youth and orphans, founder of the Somascan Fathers Congregation. He has listed four steps to be followed in giving correction to an erring fellow member:
Firstly, to cultivate the virtue of “bearing with one another’s shortcomings” as Apostle Paul says in Ephesians (4:2), with the awareness that our God, who is Goodness and who is in control, allows the shortcomings of others for our good and for His glory. How comforting to perceive God’s permissive will and our welfare in those situations that offend us!
Secondly, striving to excuse within ourselves and to pray for the erring community member. This is what our Lord and Saviour did from the cross, justifying and praying for His persecutors: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 43).
The next thing is to pray for ourselves as we venture into correcting our neighbour, praying that God may grant us right words – ‘meek and Christian words’ – so that we will not offend the person whom we are correcting but we would rather show our concern, sense of belonging and love.
This step is valuable, because correction given out of our intolerance and frustration would express itself in harsh words; it will, instead of helping us to gain the person, only will worsen the situation.
Then finally we can approach the offender with openness, giving space and time for the offender to correct himself or herself.
May our Lord help us to be humble to correct and also be open to receive correction from others.
Fr Johnson Malayil Joseph CRS is the Parish Priest of St Padre Pio Parish Glenmore Park.
Fr Johnson hosts weekly Bible Study in person and online (via Zoom), every Thursday from 7-7:45 pm. Please feel free to reach out to Fr Johnson on his mobile number 0476394968.
