First reading Ezekiel 33:7-9
If you do not speak to the wicked man, I will hold you responsible for his death
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man: Wicked wretch, you are to die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life.’
Responsorial Psalm 94(95):1-2,6-9
O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us:
for he is our God and we
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.’
Second reading Romans 13:8-10
Your only debt should be the debt of mutual love
Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have carried out your obligations. All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
Gospel Matthew 18:15-20
If your brother listens to you, you have won back your brother
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’
Love Your Neighbour
Today’s second reading reminds us that there is one debt we must never stop paying: the debt of love. St Paul teaches that every commandment can be summed up in: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” The love that God calls us to have is not just a nice feeling or a good intention. Instead, it is a conscious decision to seek the other person’s good and to avoid causing them harm. Let St Paul’s words lead us to take steps to practice patience, forgiveness, honesty and compassion, especially when we face difficult challenges in life.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us how to handle conflict. Too often, we allow resentment to build up in our hearts and talk about others behind their backs. Instead, Jesus calls us to approach the person directly and speak with them clearly and honestly. Our goal should be to help the other person return to what is good. Even if it becomes necessary to involve others in the reconciliation process, we must always show respect and love for the individual, while remaining faithful to the truth. Let us place love at the centre of our relationships, always striving for unity instead of division.
Reflective question:
Do my words and actions seek the good of others?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
