TwentyThird Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Title

Sentinels of Love

Outline

In a confrontational society it is difficult to cultivate Christian virtue

People are encouraged to come out and call out their oppressors in both Christian and non-Christian contexts. That is a lot of what one sees on X aka Twitter, Facebook, or the like.

Those who did not sufficiently call out evil are critiqued, as Pope Pious XII was for not denouncing Naziism, despite the fact that he worked under the table to rescue Jews.

So it can be tempting to call out others and to label that Christian virtue, but the matter is not that simple.

Ezekiel indeed was to call out the wicked

It was his particular appointment by God as a sentinel for the house of Israel.

Yet his responsibility was not to call out the wicked to the society around them, but to warn them to their face. There was no virtue signalling here, but rather a warning that they were in danger.

This was what was the life and death matter for the sentinel: had he warned the person. What the person then did with the warning was not the sentinel’s business.

Paul points out the motivation for any Christian action

“Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

One does what one does for the good of the other, not for one’s reputation and certainly not to prove the other one wrong.

Thus the warning needs to come with tears (at least inwardly) from a background of prayer for the rescue of the other person.

Finally, Jesus gives a concrete reconciliation process

First, the “against you” is not in the best early manuscripts. You may have seen something that has nothing to do with you, but which you realize God showed you so you could warn the other individual.

Second, the initial approach is one on one, not public. It is out of love, for you want to win the brothers or sister.

Third, the calling in of witnesses, probably leaders, is to establish truth, not for them to condemn. It is a recognition that sometimes there is a need to establish what really did happen or what the other person’s attitude is. Nothing is said about proving that you are right.

Finally, the telling to the Church calls on the whole Church to respond in love according to reality towards the community member who has provably violated love as Jesus and his apostles taught it. Only here is the event public and only within the community. They treat the former member as an outsider, but they still act with love towards him or her as they should towards outsiders, even enemies.

Sisters, this is counter-cultural

The goal is always restoration and healing, not punishment or stigmatization.

Now I realize that full restoration is not possible this side of heaven for some offenders, at least not in an open public setting. The Church has had to learn that. But our aim should be the maximum degree possible.

I also realize that some (by no means all) of the clamor against the Church in the sexual abuse crisis was a confusion of ignorance with culpability and a desire to see the perpetrator and those associated with him suffer rather than the prevention of further abuse or the healing of both victim and perpetrator.

In the end, most of what we will encounter will not be that extreme and to treat it that way is a departure from the way of love.

In the end, we are sentinels, often unindenting sentinels, who may need to confront, but who confront in love, hopefully because we have been training to do so by people of love.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 9-10-2023: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 33:7–9

7 You, son of man—I have appointed you as a sentinel for the house of Israel; when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me. 8 When I say to the wicked, “You wicked, you must die,” and you do not speak up to warn the wicked about their ways, they shall die in their sins, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. 9 If, however, you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, but they do not, then they shall die in their sins, but you shall save your life.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-10-2023: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 95:8

8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,

as on the day of Massah in the desert.

PSALM

Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9

1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;

cry out to the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before him with a song of praise,

joyfully sing out our psalms.

6 Enter, let us bow down in worship;

let us kneel before the LORD who made us.

7 For he is our God,

we are the people he shepherds,

the sheep in his hands.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,

as on the day of Massah in the desert.

9 There your ancestors tested me;

they tried me though they had seen my works.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-10-2023: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Romans 13:8–10

8 Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, [namely] “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-10-2023: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

2 Corinthians 5:19

19 namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

GOSPEL

Matthew 18:15–20

15 “If your brother sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. 16  If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 18  Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19  Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 9-10-2023: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Ezekiel 33:7–9

Response Psalm 95:8

Psalm Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9

Second Reading Romans 13:8–10

Gospel Acclamation 2 Corinthians 5:19

Gospel Matthew 18:15–20