A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (18:15-20)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, 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.”
Reflection: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, at first glance, this Gospel might seem straightforward, and it should be. But there is so much that needs to be said, that no reflection or commentary will feel complete, and I don’t want to make this reflection longer, than it ought to be. So, let’s roll!
Thinking on my words before the Gospel, on broken friendships; have you ever felt the sharp pain of a broken friendship? Words hurt. Trust shatters. We search for a clear path to fix the mess. Yet, we often stay lost in anger and hurt. Trust is broken and peace feels far away.
We want a clear path to fix it. We search for the right words, but we do not find them. The conflict stays hard. Yet, Jesus gives us a path to a solution, in today’s Gospel.
Jesus gives us a clear and loving path when hurt enters us. He does not tell us to nurse our anger in secret, or to broadcast the fault to the world. Instead, He says to go to your brother alone. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”
True Christian love has courage. It seeks out face-to-face healing, rather than gossip. When we speak one-on-one in humility, our goal is not to win an argument, but to win back our brother/sister in Christ. Healing begins in the quiet space between two hearts seeking the truth.
But love is also patient and persistent! If the private word is not heard, Jesus tells us, to bring one or two witnesses; “If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” This is not to gang up on a person, but to anchor the truth, in a community of care.
And if that still fails, we are to bring the matter before the Church; “If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.” In our Catholic tradition, this points to the sacred authority of the local body, our pastors and priests, who guide us. The steps are designed with one heartbeat: to rescue a soul from isolation, and restore peace in the body of Christ.
And then the Lord says; “If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” Well, not exactly as they were treated before Jesus came. Remember, Matthew himself was a tax collector before becoming a disciple, so even this description is marked by the goodness of God: The Gentile and the tax collector, can also receive the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Finally, our Lord speaks in today’s Gospel, of binding and loosing. This authority entrusted to the Apostles and the Church is a power of mercy and truth. When the community acts in His name, heaven approves these efforts. A profound spiritual and judicial power, entrusted by Christ to the Church, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When a priest pronounces absolution in Confession, he exercises the power to “loose” the penitent, you/me, from our spiritual bonds of sin.
Jesus doesn’t just give us rules—He gives us a path, for living in a fallen world, marked by humility, patience, and a relentless commitment, to restoring what’s been broken. Let’s be faithful to this path, for in doing so, we reflect the heart, of the One who is always in our midst, guiding us toward peace; “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Make time today, and sit in a quite place, no phone or other distractions, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, examine your own heart, at that moment: Where do you harbor bitterness, with someone? Then, take the first brave step of peace, trusting, that where we seek reconciliation on earth, God’s grace binds us together in heaven.
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Thank you. God bless.