Jesus said to his disciples: “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. 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.’ Mt 16:15-20
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
Don Bosco used to say. “Do not reprimand or correct when you are angry or upset, lest your pupils attribute it to anger, but wait, even a few days if necessary, until you have calmed down.”
This is advice is indeed wise. Often we correct with the wrong motivation like hurt pride. Thus we fall to the temptation of insulting, in public sometimes, even physically harming those erring.
In place of anger, let love be our motive in correcting. No wonder St. Paul tells us today through the Romans to love one another: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Rom 13:8-10
Loving the sinner is actually the style of Jesus. He does not tolerate wrong but forgives the sinner like the adulterous woman. Jesus distinguishes the sin from the sinner. He is always the Good Shepherd who happily carries home the lost sheep on His shoulders. Loving the offender is the only way to convert him.
There was one sister in a religious community who had been a pain in everyone’s neck for a very long time. But no one dared correct her till another sister took action. What did she do? She did what no one of us would even think of doing – she prayed for that sister. Slowly the ire in that sister who prayed changed to concern. Then the erring sister also changed.
No wonder in the gospel today after talking about correction, Jesus immediately tells us to pray, “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. Again 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.”Mt 16:15-20
Remember that it was because Monica prayed for Augustine, her son was converted but at the same time she became a saint. Whenever we correct another many times we have to first convert ourselves, at least first change our attitude to love.
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