Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today’s readings speak to us about a very important but sometimes difficult aspect of Christian life: our responsibility for one another. We live in a world where it is easy to say, “That is not my problem.” We see someone making a wrong decision, a family member drifting away from God, a friend becoming bitter, or a person in our community behaving in a harmful way, and we may choose to remain silent. Sometimes we remain silent because we are afraid of being rejected. Sometimes we say, “Who am I to judge?” And sometimes, quite honestly, we simply do not want to get involved. But the Word of God today reminds us that love does not allow us to remain indifferent.
In the first reading, God tells the prophet Ezekiel: “I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel.” A watchman has an important responsibility. He stands on the walls and watches carefully. If danger is approaching, he must warn the people. If he sees danger but remains silent, he cannot simply say, “It is none of my business.” God tells Ezekiel that he has been entrusted with the responsibility of warning his people. This is not only the vocation of prophets, priests, or bishops. Every Christian is called, in some way, to be a watchman for others. Parents watch men for their children. Husbands and wives are watchmen for each other. Friends are watchmen for friends. Teachers are watchmen for their students. Members of a parish are watchmen for one another. To be a watchman does not mean becoming a policeman who is constantly looking for people’s mistakes. It means caring enough to help another person remain on the right path. Sometimes the most loving thing we can say to someone is, “My brother, my sister, I am worried about you. I think this is hurting you. Please don’t continue in this direction.” That requires courage.
The Gospel gives us a very practical teaching about fraternal correction. Jesus says: “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Notice the first step: go privately. Jesus does not say, “Tell everyone what this person has done.” He does not say, “Discuss it with your friends first.” He says: go to the person. How often do we do the opposite? Someone hurts us, and instead of speaking to that person, we speak to five other people. We tell the story again and again. By the time the story reaches the tenth person, the original problem has become much bigger. Jesus teaches us another way: speak directly, privately, honestly, and lovingly. The purpose is not to humiliate the person. The purpose is to win back your brother or sister. That is a very important distinction. Christian correction is not about proving, “I am right and you are wrong.” It is about saying, “I care about you, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself, hurt others, or move away from God.”
Correction must always come from love This connects beautifully with the second reading from St Paul. Paul says: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” What does it mean to owe someone love? It means that even when someone has hurt us, we do not have permission to stop loving them. Even when we correct someone, we must continue to love them. Even when we disagree, we must continue to respect them. Even when someone has made a serious mistake, we must remember that the person is still a child of God. This is why Christian correction is so different from criticism. Criticism says: “You are a failure.” Love says: “You have made a mistake, but you can begin again.” Criticism says: “I told you so.” Love says: “How can I help you?” Criticism exposes the person. Love seeks to restore the person. St Paul reminds us that the whole law is summed up in one command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Therefore, before correcting someone, we should ask ourselves: “Am I correcting this person because I love them, or because I am angry with them?” “Do I want to restore them, or do I want to punish them?” “Am I trying to help them, or simply to prove that I am right?” Those questions can change the way we speak to one another.
Sometimes we misunderstand Christian love. We think that being loving means never confronting anyone. We say, “I don’t want to judge,” and we remain silent even when someone is destroying their own life or harming others. But today’s readings tell us that silence can also be a failure of love. If a parent sees a child walking toward danger, love does not say, “I don’t want to interfere.” If a friend sees another friend becoming addicted, love does not say, “It is their life.” If we see injustice, abuse, dishonesty, or serious wrongdoing, love cannot simply look away. There are moments when love must speak. But the question is how we speak. The Gospel gives us a process: begin privately, speak honestly, seek reconciliation, and involve others only when necessary. And even then, the goal remains the same: to win back the person.
At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” These words are often used when we gather for prayer—and rightly so. But in today’s Gospel they have an even deeper meaning. Jesus is present when people come together seeking reconciliation, truth, forgiveness, and the good of one another. When a husband and wife sit down and honestly try to resolve their problems, Christ is there. When two friends overcome their pride and seek forgiveness, Christ is there. When family members gather to resolve an old conflict, Christ is there. When a parish community chooses reconciliation instead of gossip and division, Christ is there. The presence of Jesus is not only experienced in the church building. Christ is present wherever his people sincerely seek love and reconciliation.
Brothers and sisters, the three readings come together beautifully. Ezekiel tells us: Do not be indifferent to the spiritual welfare of others. St Paul tells us: Let everything you do be rooted in love. Jesus tells us: When there is a problem, approach one another with truth, humility, and a desire for reconciliation. The Christian community should be a place where people are not afraid to admit their mistakes because they know they will be helped to rise again. May we have the courage to speak when love requires us to speak. May we have the humility to listen when someone lovingly corrects us. May we have the wisdom to know the difference between correction and condemnation. And above all, may we remember the words of St Paul: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” If we live that command faithfully, then truly, Christ will be present among us. Amen.