23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone.  We need others.  At the heart of our faith is the call to love and to be of service.  Paul tells us in the second reading that we owe nothing to anyone, except to love them.

Our Catholic tradition has seven corporal works of mercy and seven spiritual works of mercy.  When we perform the corporal works of mercy, we are being loving and giving glory to God through our service of those in need: the hungry, thirsty, the naked, the homeless, the sick, the imprisoned, and even the dead. 

With the spiritual works of mercy, we are helping those who are in need due to often unseen miseries.  Those in need spiritually offer us an opportunity to help them to grow in holiness: the sinner, the doubtful, the suffering, the ignorant, the offensive, those in need of forgiveness, as well as all the living and the dead.

Today’s Scriptures from both the Old Testament and the Gospel of Matthew speak to one of the spiritual works of mercy: to admonish the sinner.  This work of mercy is one that many of us, myself included, shy away from for various reasons.  We tell ourselves that too much can go wrong when we attempt to do this.  Perhaps we question our motives or even our right to admonish someone when we ourselves are sinners.  We fear we will make things worse rather than help the person.  So we avoid doing it and hope that someone else will step in and let us off the hook. 

God was quite clear to Ezekiel about all of this and that should call us to reconsider our fears and hesitations.  The Lord God told Ezekiel he was to be a watchman for the house of Israel.  Having spoken God’s word to them, Ezekiel also had to warn them about what could happen if they didn’t heed God’s ways.  And if Ezekiel does not warn them and the wicked die because of their wicked ways, God would hold Ezekiel responsible.  This is serious business.

In today’s gospel, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, the future leaders of the community,  and he tells them how he wants them to proceed, just as God gave instructions to Ezekiel centuries before.  First, the person who has done wrong ought to be spoken to one-on-one in private.  Ironically, don’t we often do the exact opposite?  We won’t speak to the person directly, but will tell everyone else what kind of life that person is living.  We need to take Jesus’ word seriously and out of love sit down with someone in need before we tell anyone else.

Jesus then tells the disciples that if the private talk doesn’t work, then two or three others should join in the conversation, just as the Jewish law required.  If that doesn’t work, the person is to be treated as a tax collector or a Gentile.  In other words, since they won’t make the change needed to live as an authentic member of the community due to obstinacy in serious sin, they need to begin again with a careful consideration of what is needed to be a follower of Christ.  And since the disciples will be held responsible for those whom they serve, what they decide will be bound and loosed on earth and in heaven.  As with Ezekiel, this is very serious business.

When we love someone and want the best for them, and that person, for whatever reason, has chosen a life of serious sin rather than a Christian life, we need to show them mercy and warn them of the danger they are facing.  It is an act of mercy and is a much needed way we show our love.  It is imperative that we warn them that they are in spiritual danger and need to change their lives. 

We need to seek the Lord’s help and guidance, rather than act on our own, because what we do is so crucial for the life and well-being of the other.  We have to wait for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as to the right time and the best words.  We can’t risk being judgmental or superior lest we will not being listened to or taken seriously.  But when others, especially those we love, endanger their spiritual lives to such a degree that their eternal life is at risk, we need to act.  Just as we wouldn’t leave someone struggling with a deadly addiction alone, so too we ought not leave someone drowning in sin alone either.  The Lord asks us to do what we can to help and an admonishment or warning is the first step.

Pray about this and let the Lord lead you.  To admonish the sinner is a work of mercy that is much needed today.  The Holy Spirit will give us the words and even arrange for the time and place.  All we need to do is be sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting and then offer ourselves as an unworthy, but willing, instrument of God’s healing mercy.