Cycle A - Year II:  

7 September 2014: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 18:15-20

We are our brother's keeper!

"Am I my brother's keeper?", that is the expression we hear when someone refuses to be accountable for somebody else' wrongdoing. But do you know that the expression is actually biblical and found in the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis?

Cain and Abel were the first descendants of Adam and Eve. Out of envy Cain killed his brother Abel. When the Lord asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?", Cain answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gn 4:9)

In this Sunday's Gospel, our Lord Jesus teaches us differently, that we must care and help our erring brothers and sisters, that we must be our brother's keeper!

Our society, including those who call themselves Christians, try to avoid confrontation or contradiction for fear of offending another person, or of seeming "judgmental". So we prefer to keep silent even when evil things or wrongdoings happen in our presence. We seem to forget that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing at all. The worst thing is when people lose their sense of sin that they are unable to recognize evil.  In other instances perhaps, there is simply an indifference to sin itself.

Our Lord reminds us that one of the most important disciplines that Catholics, and all Christians for that matter, should take to heart is fraternal correction. In our generation where many people lack moral courage to speak out against wrongdoings, the authentic practice of fraternal correction is more urgent than ever.

Thus, our Lord Jesus mandates that we owe each other, as a matter of justice, the charity of correcting each other out of love for God and the salvation of the soul of the person  who has committed a wrongdoing, or exhibited a lack of good judgment.

Because salvation has a social dimension. We cannot be saved by just praying to God but keeping our doors closed to the need of others. Rather, we will be saved in communion with others as a People of God.

The parting words of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Sunday's Gospel is clear: " Amen, 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." (Mt 18:19-20)

In the Holy Eucharist at Mass, let us pray that the Lord fill our hearts with patience and love for our erring brothers and sisters. May the Lord grant us the moral courage to be involved, to act together as a community, to lead others to conversion and become truly a People of God in journey to the Father's house. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!