May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
Today the Lord Jesus
gives us two commands and one promise.
Today we are commanded to speak and to listen. We are given the promise of the presence of
the Lord Jesus when we speak and when we listen.
In our reading from the
Gospel of Matthew we hear the words of the Lord Jesus about fraternal
correction. This is not the type of
instruction and correction that parents give to their children. It is not even the type of correction that
teachers give to students. Today our
Lord Jesus instructs us how we are to correct a brother or sister, a husband or
a wife, a fellow disciple of the Lord.
Today we are given the command to speak the difficult word of
correction.
In our reading from the
prophet Ezekiel we hear that the Lord has appointed his prophet to be a
sentinel for the house of Israel. The
task of the prophet is to speak the word of correction to those who are living
in error. It is the responsibility of
the prophet to speak this difficult word, not only for the salvation of the one
who is in error, but for his own salvation as well. The one who is called to be a prophet for the
Lord and a sentinel for his people must speak the word of correction. It is not an option. When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we
were anointed priest, king, and prophet.
Each of us has been called by the Lord through our baptism to this prophetic
office and we have a responsibility at times to speak the word of correction to
our brothers and sisters.
But if we are to speak,
if we are to fulfill our baptismal call and follow the command of the Lord, we
must speak in love. Saint Paul reminds
us that love does no evil to the neighbor.
When we are called to speak this most difficult word of correction to a
brother or sister in Christ, we must seek to do so with the mind of Christ and
most importantly with the heart of Christ.
The Lord Jesus gives us
a pattern to follow when we must exercise this responsibility of fraternal
correction. We are called first to speak
privately to the one who has sinned against us.
We owe that private and gentle correction to a brother or sister. We are to speak to them, in love, and not to
others in judgment. When we first go
privately to a brother or sister, it is fraternal correction. When we first go to others and speak of the
misdeeds of a brother or sister, it is gossip, at best, or slander. However, if our brother or sister does not
respond to this private correction, then, and only then, do we ask others to
join us in our efforts to bring back a wandering member of the flock. And if they do not respond, we must invite
the Church to pray for them. The word of
correction will only be effective when it is spoken in love and supported with
prayer.
As difficult as it is
to speak the word of correction, it is perhaps more difficult to hear that word. Yet that is what the Lord Jesus commands each
of us to do today. When the word of
correction is spoken to us, in friendship and in love, then we must heed this
word. When correction is given in love,
it is an expression of love and concern for our salvation, and should not be
seen as an effort to humiliate us. When
we hear the word of challenge, and we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd
speaking to us through another member of the flock, may we have the grace to
follow the command of Christ and listen to his voice calling us closer to
himself.
The Lord Jesus promised
that when two or more were gathered in his name that his presence would be
among them. When we are called to speak
the word of correction, or to listen to that same word, the Lord Jesus is
indeed present among us. As we celebrate
this Eucharist today, Jesus is present among us. Let us ask for the grace to have the courage
to speak the difficult word of correction to others. Let us ask for the grace to listen with an
open heart when the word of correction is spoken to us. And let us rejoice as we are gathered, as
more than two or three, in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
