Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Ez. 33:7-9; Ps. 94: 1-2, 6-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20
The most organised religion or any organisation in the world is the Roman Catholic Church. We can go to any part of the world yet we can identify ourselves with the Catholic Church because of our faith. We have one authority who is supreme and guides the entire church. We have structures at every level: universal level, regional level, national level, diocesan level and the parish level. It helps us for the easy functioning to transmit our messages. Our worship is unified. It is same everywhere. The very word Church itself has a connotation that is people of God. It comes from the Greek word ‘ekklesia’. It means coming together. The mind of Christ too was that there should be one church. He prayed for unity within the church. The only occasion where Jesus is praying for any specific intention is that of unity. He says, “father! As you and I are one. Let there be one in us.”
In today’s text we have heard that Jesus is making a promise that where two or three gathered in my name, there am I in their midst. The Pentecost is the first event of agreement where all the apostles in the presence of Our Lady gathered together. The sacrament of the Eucharist is the supreme sacrament which is the best expression of unity in the Church. It is said that the Eucharist makes the church and the Church makes the Eucharist. Therefore, the communitarian life is the characteristic of Christianity and most importantly of the Catholic Church. Our God also lives a community life. He is a triune God. If this is one side of our Christian life, there is also the other side.
Our practical experience shows us that we are characterised by the beautiful expression of unity but it is a fact that we are also the most divided community in the world. Many people have broken away from the Catholic Church and formed their own groups and called them churches. From the time, immemorial to this day, there are so many who went out from the Catholic Church. Even then, there are disagreements among themselves on theological issues. These disagreements are still there in the church. I have recently been part of the reconciliation team. There was a disagreement among the parishioners. The disagreement arose in a particular family and spread all over the parish. The result was the church was closed for two months. It is interesting to understand from today’s Gospel that Christ accepts the fact that there would be disagreements. At the same time, he is also demanding that we should sort our difference as early as possible that the greater good is achieved. He is asking us to resolve our issues and live in peace. We need to ask ourselves if Jesus is asking me then am I ready to talk to my brothers and sisters or neighbours? Am I ready to sort out issues that are pending for so many years?
Ezekiel in the first reading was told by God that he must correct the wrongdoers. That was the task given to him. If he says no to it means he is not abiding by God’s command. St. Paul tells us that that the correction should have a yardstick that is love. If there is no love behind our correction that would turn into fights and quarrels. As we participate in the Holy Eucharist, let us ask God to fill us with His grace to remain united in one another as He himself was united.
