No Time for Indifference ~ Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ez 33:7-9
Ps 95:1-2, 6-9 (8)
Rom 13:8-10
Mt 18:15-20

In Matthew's Gospel this week, we listen to Jesus teaching his disciples how to reconcile with each other and with the community. In order to settle conflicts, Jesus shows us how to resolve them in such a way that there is a concern for everyone involved. The correction is done out of love.

An important aspect needed in reconciling problems is communication. Whether within families or the wider community, one needs to be able to address the issues in such a manner that unity and harmony are preserved. Love and respect for the other is the key.

In the first reading, Ezekiel reminds us that we are responsible for each other. We cannot remain indifferent to the evil done by others. We are to speak out against sin and injustice or we too will be judged guilty.

The Lord called Ezekiel the "watchman for the house of Israel." (Ez 33:7) Just as Ezekiel was to confront the evil he encountered and to warn the person or people involved, so we also are called to assume responsibility to combat the evil that happens around us.

Paul summed it up perfectly in his letter to the Romans. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 8:10)



~ "Reconciliation" scupture by Margaret Adams Parker