September 10th 2017. Twenty Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew:18, 15-20

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From a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast of Vatican Radio

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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."

Kieran’s summary . . . The Gospel this Sunday speaks of fraternal correction. Why does Jesus ask us to correct each other? For the sake of correction? For the sake of a perfect world? No, Jesus asks that we challenge each other solely for the purpose of bringing people to salvation. We need the Holy Spirit in order to be able to correct each other properly because true fraternal correction can only be done with love. It is not authentic if it is done with a fury or preoccupation for doing things correctly for the sake of correctness. I can speak the truth to my brother when I correct him, but if I don’t do it with truth in my heart, namely love in my heart, then my correction is not done in the appropriate manner. But why is this Gospel always read from the point of view of the one who does the correcting? Why don’t we read it from the point of view of the one in need of correction? How many times have I been spoken to by my brother or sister, or others, and refused to accept that I needed to change? This Sunday let us open ourselves to being favourably disposed towards the challenges and criticisms of others. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to operate through their challenges so that we may change and end some of our self-destructive behaviour.

We are called to speak the truth to others. This is difficult. Sometimes we are more preoccupied with preserving our faces than with preserving the truth. It is only the Holy Spirit that can enable us to correct others in fraternal love

The first reading from Isaiah refers to a very import aspect of the prophetic mission: that of speaking the truth clearly and directly. When Isaiah hears a word from the mouth of the Lord, he must speak it. “If I say to you to tell the wicked person that he will die, then you must tell the wicked person that he will die”. We find it difficult to speak openly like this, but sometimes it is needed for the salvation of a person. If someone does not convert because of the fact that I have not spoken openly, then the fault is mine. So many of our problems derive from the fact that we do not speak openly, that important things are left unsaid. How often we fail to save the truth because we are too preoccupied with saving our own faces! What do we love more, our brother who needs correction, or own own images? But correction of another is very difficult, especially if we do not have a genuine relationship of love with that person. Without love we end up either accusing the other person or deceiving them with flattery. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to correct or console each other in appropriate ways, always in a positive manner, but maintaining the truth. To know how to speak the truth without injuring or provoking the other person is an art that comes from the Holy Spirit, of this there can be no doubt. The psalms speak of the encounter between mercy and truth. This synthesis is a sublime act of God in our hearts, enabling men and women in this world to communicate the blessed word of fraternal correction or consolation to others. They do this when they permit themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

We must never correct or reprimand for the sake of correction or the sake of a perfect world. The goal of all correction is the salvation of my brother. Thus it can only be done with love

The theme of the Gospel is that of fraternal correction and all that follows from it. The person who has been offended must first of all speak to the offender. If this doesn’t work, then he must challenge the person again in the presence of others, and finally before the whole community. If none of this is successful, then various extreme courses of action are mentioned. What is the point of all this? The Gospel tells us that the purpose of this entire process is to “win back your brother”. This Gospel is not directed towards correction of other people for the sake of correction. In the name of “fraternal correction” an army of Christians have taken it upon themselves to evaluate the behaviour and destiny of others! The problem is that too often we focus on justice and do not make our corrections out of love. Attempts to set the world aright that are not inspired by the Holy Spirit are lacking in love, tenderness, and true consideration for others. Jesus here is speaking about winning back my brother. Some people earn money, some people earn fame, whilst others are concerned about earning brothers and sisters. Some people rejoice when they see that their brother has embraced salvation. Others rejoice when they see that things have been put in order, at whatever cost, perhaps the conversion of someone. Jesus wants us to be saved, not simply corrected or reprimanded. Certainly, it is often the case that in order to be saved, we need to be reprimanded, but only for the purpose of salvation. If we approach others with a zealous fury that they must put certain things right, in general we do not have truth in our hearts. Perhaps what we are saying is correct, but it is not according to the truth which is love.

This Sunday let us read this text from the point of view of the one being corrected. We need the criticism and challenges of others, and we must learn to accept these challenges with humilty.

It is interesting that this text is usually read from the point of view of the person who does the correcting, but isn’t it true that it is we who are most often in need of correction ourselves? How hard it is to accept correction from others! But it is important that we learn to accept correction, even if it is coming from a source that we find hard to accept, such as a person who seems hypocritical, or a person who is a legalist. When criticism is couched in poor terms, it is very hard for our hearts to welcome it properly. If a person criticizes us for something that we have never done, then we can usually see that this criticism is, in some way, a problem or miscomprehension of the speaker. But if a criticism is warranted or has truth in it, then it hurts me much more. How can I welcome this pain, especially if the criticism has been put in angry or vindictive terms? Ignatius Loyola said that we must try to salvage whatever we can from the criticisms of others. This involves making the effort of attributing to them a good intention, of salvaging whatever benefit I can from their criticism. The most important thing is to develop an attitude of being favourably disposed to being criticized. How hard it is to allow myself to be criticized by others! How hard it is to accept that I am the person mentioned in the Gospel, the one who was corrected but did not listen, the one who was then challenged by two or more, but still didn’t accept what was being said of me. “I have tried to explain my position but you won’t listen!Nobody understands me!” When I utter this phrase - “No one understands me!” - then I need to have a hard look at what is happening. This act of playing the victim is nearly always far from convincing. This Sunday why don’t we read this Gospel from the point of view of the one who is being criticized? Let us allow people to challenge us! He who criticizes me – whether it is with a good heart or a evil heart – can nevertheless help me. One of the worst things in life is not to see our errors and to continue with self-destructive behaviour.