23rd Sunday of Year A

May God grant you the humility to recognize when you are at fault and the courage to ask for pardon and reconciliation to God and to your fellow brothers and sisters. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Ezek 33,7-9; Romans 13,8-10; Matt 18,15-20: 23rd Sunday of Year A)

             Today’s readings highlight our Christian duty and obligation to assist others in the attainment of salvation. God is love. It was in loving condescension that he grants the gift of salvation to man. The same love challenges us to shun every form of egoistic indifference with regard to the salvation of our neighbour. Even though each man shall stand before God to account for his life, God expects us to lend some helping hand to one another as we make this personal journey to our eternal destiny. The readings show how we can be instrumental to the salvation of our neighbours.

    In the first reading, Ezekiel is called to act as watchman of the people of God. As a sentinel (a soldier or guard whose job is to stand and keep watch) he has the duty to protect home or cities from the attack of the enemy. Ezekiel fulfils this function when, as a prophet, he proclaims God’s word of warning. Such a proclamation is the defence he uses to protect the people. He is told that God will hold him responsible if he does not protect the people by means of his proclamation. If he is faithful to his charge, but the people refuse to heed his message, he can be rest assured that he has fulfilled his responsibility. In the same way, we Christians of today are called to be watch people or sentinels for our various communities: the family or domestic church, parish communities, segments of the society and the society at large. We have the duty to warn and admonish any member of the Christian family who consciously or inadvertently moves away from the tenets of the Christian community. It is a duty proper to us, as Christians, to send in admonitions that would bring back any erring member to the fold. It is not just enough for us to hold the sinner responsible for his sins, we would be held accountable too if we fail to act as constant reminder to the erring person as to what God expects of him. Our salvation hangs somehow on the balance of our fidelity to the duty we owe to others to assist them in their spiritual life. 

    In the gospel, Jesus gave a detailed description of the length we must go to ensure that others are put in the right track of being saved.  We cannot treat one who goes astray with indifference. Bringing him or her back ought to be our preoccupation. Go and have it out with him.  You need to be concerned. Where you fail, do not give up, go with a companion. Don’t even stop there; draw the attention of the community. The duty to assist an erring soul must be the corporate responsibility of the faith community. The importance of the community in this process of reconciliation is apparent in two important ways.  First, it is the entire band of disciples, not merely its leader that exercises disciplinary power within the community. They are the ones who do the binding and the loosing. Second, Jesus declares that any agreement arrived at by two members of this community will be heard. He is not talking about prayer in general but prayer for guidance in coming to a decision that will affect community well-being. Reconciling an erring brother or sister must be done in an atmosphere of care and love. The process of reconciliation requires significant movement towards the admission of guilt as well. Both the one offended and the offender must be willing to be transformed. As followers of Jesus we must not only be agents of reconciliation of others but most importantly do our part in repairing the rifts in our lives. This can be a very difficult task to accomplish.

               In the second reading, St. Paul makes it clear that love is the only debt we owe to every man and woman. We normally acclaim love as the highest form of human expression, and it is. However, as glorious and satisfying as love may be, it is more demanding than anything else in life. With Paul in the second reading, we may admit that love fulfils the entire life only when we honour our personal commitments and that of others regardless of the contrary passionate attraction we may experience; when we value the life, dignity, and reputation of others even when we are on the brink of hatred and vindictiveness; when we respect the possessions of others despite the fact that we desperately desire them for ourselves. It is because love is so demanding that it covers all our responsibilities. However, when we truly love we are willing to carry the crosses that discipleship requires. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

GRAPHICS BY CHUKWUBIKE