23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

 

23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year  A

Be a Voice of Love that Leads Others Back to the Light

Ezekiel 33:7 - 9          Romans 13:8 - 10      Matthew 18:15 - 20

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!

Today, the Word of God speaks about something very important in our relationships: how we care for one another when someone is going in the wrong direction.

We all make mistakes. None of us is perfect. Sometimes we need someone to correct us, guide us, or simply remind us that we can do better.

The readings of today tell us that true love does not ignore another person’s mistakes, but it also does not condemn them. True love helps a person find the way back to the light. That is why our theme today is: “Be a Voice of Love that Leads Others Back to the Light.”

I Have Appointed You as a Watchman - Ezekiel 33:7 - 9

In today’s first reading, God says to Ezekiel: “I have appointed you as a watchman.”

What does a watchman do? A watchman watches. He looks out for danger. And when he sees danger coming, he does not remain silent. He warns the people.

God gives Ezekiel this responsibility towards the people of Israel. He is called to warn them when they are going in the wrong direction and to call them back to God.

And this message is also for us today. God has placed people around us - our family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and fellow Christians. Sometimes we see someone making a wrong choice or slowly moving away from God.

What do we do?

Do we remain silent and say, it is not my concern? Or are we willing to be a watchman? But there is something important we must remember: we are called to be watchmen, not judges.

A watchman warns because he cares. A judge condemns. Our duty is to care, warn, guide, correct, and pray. We can think of Cain in the Book of Genesis. When God asked him about his brother Abel, Cain replied: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain did not want to take responsibility for his brother. But as Christians, we are called to have a different attitude. We are called to care for one another.

So today, let us ask ourselves: Am I willing to be a watchman for those whom God has placed in my life? When I see someone going in the wrong direction, do I simply say, It is not my concern? Or am I willing to speak with love and say, Brother, sister, I am concerned about you. I want you to be close to God.

The question is not simply: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Rather, God invites us to ask: “Am I willing to be my brother’s watchman?”

May God give us the courage to speak when we need to speak, the wisdom to know what to speak, and the grace to know how to speak.

Love Your Neighbour as Yourself – Romans 13:8–10

In the second reading, St. Paul gives us the very heart of Christian life: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Paul tells us that love fulfils the law. And this has a very practical meaning for us: even when we need to correct someone, our correction must come from love.

Love of neighbour has been the hallmark of Christianity from the very beginning. It is not simply a human sentiment or an occasional act of kindness. It flows from our love for God. When we truly know God and allow His love to touch our hearts, that love cannot remain within us; it naturally reaches out to our brothers and sisters.

We cannot claim to love God while remaining indifferent to our neighbour. Love of God and love of neighbour are inseparable. The love we show to one another becomes the very charity through which God’s love is made visible in the world.

But let us be honest: how do we correct one another?

Sometimes we correct people because we are angry. Sometimes because we want to prove that we are right. Sometimes we point out the faults of others simply because we enjoy exposing their weaknesses. And sometimes, under the name of “correction,” we are actually trying to hurt or humiliate another person.

That is not the love St. Paul is speaking about.

Christian love says: “I want you to become better.”

It says: “I do not want to see you destroy yourself.”

It says: “I care about you, even when you make mistakes.”

True love does not mean accepting everything a person does. Love is not blind to wrongdoing. There are times when love must have the courage to speak the truth. But when we speak the truth, we must speak it with kindness, humility, and compassion.

The question, therefore, is not only, “What am I saying?” but also, “Why am I saying it?”

Am I correcting this person because I truly care for him or her? Or am I correcting them simply because I want to prove that I am right?

Am I trying to help them grow? Or am I trying to make them feel small?

St. Paul reminds us today that the greatest law is love. If our correction does not come from love, then even the truth we speak can become a weapon. So, before we correct someone, let us first examine our own hearts. Let us ask: “Can I say this with love? Can I say it with compassion? Can my words help this person become a better person?”

For Christian correction is not about putting someone down; it is about lifting someone up. It is not about winning an argument; it is about winning a brother or sister for Christ.

And that is what it means to love our neighbour as ourselves.

The Fraternal correction – Matthew 18:15–20

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us practical advice about dealing with someone who has done wrong. He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15).

Today, our Lord calls us to work with Him for the sanctification of others through fraternal correction. We have a responsibility to correct others when necessary and not remain silent through the sin of omission.

Jesus gives us a clear sequence of correction in three stages:

1. Correct privately - “Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). Speak to the person directly, privately, respectfully, and with love. This protects his dignity and gives him the opportunity to change.

2. Take one or two others - If he does not listen, Jesus says, “Take one or two others along with you” (Matthew 18:16). They may help the person understand his mistake and encourage him to repent.

3. Bring it before the Church - (Matthew 18:17). If he persistently refuses correction, he may be separated from the communion of the Church and the sacraments.

Notice the first step Jesus gives us: Go to the person.

He does not say, Tell everyone.

He does not say, Put it on social media.

He does not say, Talk about the person behind their back.

He says, “Go to him.”

This is very relevant in today’s world. It is easy to spread someone’s mistake, criticize them, or discuss their failures with others. But Jesus teaches us to protect the person’s dignity.

If we have something to say, let us speak directly, privately, respectfully, and with love. The purpose of correction is not to shame or condemn the person. The purpose is restoration.

Jesus wants us to bring people back, not push them away. Fraternal correction, therefore, should always be guided by truth, charity, patience, and the desire to help the other person return to the right path.

Let me share a story

One evening, a young boy was walking home from school. It was getting dark, and he was walking along a road that he did not know very well.

An elderly man saw the boy and noticed that he was walking in the wrong direction.

The man called out, My son, where are you going? The boy replied, I am going home.

The man looked at him and gently said, My son, I know you want to go home, but you are walking in the wrong direction. If you continue this way, you will go farther away from your home.

The boy became annoyed and said, I know where I am going. Please leave me alone.

The old man did not become angry. He simply said, I am not trying to control you. I am telling you this because I do not want you to get lost.

After walking a little farther, the boy stopped and looked around. He realized that the road did not look familiar. He turned back and asked the old man, Can you please show me the right way?

The old man smiled and walked with him until he reached the correct road.

The old man could have remained silent. He could have said, It is not my problem. But he spoke because he cared.

What does this Story Mean for us

My dear brothers and sisters, like the boy in the story, sometimes we too walk in the wrong direction. We may make mistakes or slowly move away from God.

The old man saw the danger and spoke up. This is the message of the first reading: be a watchman.

But he did not shout or condemn the boy. He spoke because he cared. This is the message of the second reading: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

And the Gospel teaches us how to do it: go to the person, speak privately, and correct with love.

So, when someone is going the wrong way, don’t gossip, don't judge, and don’t ignore them. Speak with love and help them find the way back. We are not called to point fingers; we are called to point the way. May we become voices of love that lead others back to God and back to the light.

LIVE JESUS!

FR. D. VIMAL   MSFS

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