Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
My dear parishioners,
God is Good!!! All the Time!!! And All the Time!!! God is Good!!!
Scripture Reflection
Ezekiel proclaimed the word of God before the house of Israel collapsed. In that critical time, he continually presented leaders with every opportunity to preserve the kingdom by turning to God for security rather than turning to earthly powers—Egypt in particular. At this point in the book, Ezekiel has devoted many oracles to this saving message but has failed to gain a hearing from his audience. Now the collapse of the kingdom is fast approaching.
Today’s passage comes from the fourth discourse of Matthew’s Gospel (8:1–35) and reflects the basic elements of Church order and discipline. The early Christian communities experienced internal and external conflicts. The Christian approach to these challenges, especially the internal conflicts, was to deal with them honestly, with compassion, and from within the community itself. How should a fellow Christian deal with another community member who sins?
Dealing with a fellow disciple who has sinned against a community member. The first step is for the offended person to go directly to the offender and settle the issue privately. This ideal, however, does not always work. If the direct approach fails, then take one or two others and confront the offender, presenting all the details of the situation. If even this does not work, then bring the matter before the entire local community. Now the situation becomes public and hopefully convinces the offender to be reconciled. But if that does not work, then the final step is excommunication. The offender is to be cut off from the community as one would do to a gentile or tax collector.
Do not rush to judgment. The early Christian communities followed all the steps carefully. The goal was reconciliation, not punishment. Ideally, the issue could be settled internally. Notice that excommunication is the last step, to be avoided if possible. It shows the offender how important life in the community is. Hopefully, this will bring about a reconciliation, and the offender will return to the community in good standing.
Whatever is bound or loosed on earth is bound or loosed in heaven. The power to bind and loose was given to Peter by Jesus after Peter correctly identified Jesus as the Son of the living God (6:18–19). That authority originally given to Peter is now extended to all the disciples. The Church now exercises the authority to bind and lose. It is now constituted by two or three coming together in prayer to deal with whatever issues have arisen. The power and authority actually come from Jesus, who is present whenever two or three gather as Church.
Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org.©2023. All rights reserved.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Aloysius