The readings for Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091023.cfm
In this week’s gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus reminds us to deal with conflicts head on.
And like always, He packs a lot into just a few words.
Jesus tells us that we have the right and responsibility to confront those who wrong us.
Now, raise your hand if someone has wronged you sometime.
Keep it raised if the person who wronged you is me!
Whew - I was worried for a moment.
So all of us have felt wronged.
And when that happens, what do we do?
I’m sure we’ve all experienced the wrong way to deal with it.
What Jesus tells us to do today is different from how those without faith would handle it.
When we act without faith, we often pick the way that is the most harmful to everyone involved.
Including us.
Instead of approaching the situation in the humble, loving, self-reflective way needed to resolve the conflict,
We can prefer to be right and end up making things worse.
Sometimes we gossip about the conflict.
We talk to people who can do nothing to help resolve the situation
and at the same time,
assassinate the character of the person involved.
Poisoning us and everyone we involve in the process.
Definitely, not what Jesus is telling us to do.
The other thing we do, when we act without faith, is avoid conflict altogether.
We avoid the person, the topic, pretend it didn’t happen or say that it doesn’t matter.
And we often avoid conflict because it can make us feel anxious or uncomfortable.
In trying to avoid being uncomfortable, we almost always accomplish the exact opposite thing - bringing us more stress and anxiety.
As we become even more resentful and bitter.
Definitely, not what Jesus wants for us.
So He proposes a different path.
He asks us to confront the person who has wronged us,
but to do it in a spirit of humility and love.
The approach Jesus recommends in today’s gospel is simple and good and just.
He challenges us to face life head-on, not to gloss over the truth, not to avoid challenges,
but to do it from a place of love and humility, not righteousness.
But it doesn’t end there.
Once we’ve tried to resolve the conflict one-on-one, if that doesn’t work,
He says we should include others to help mediate.
To be clear, Jesus is not telling us to gang up on each other,
but rather that sometimes we might need a little help to clear things up.
Finally, Jesus talks about bringing the conflict to the Church.
This doesn’t mean that Father or I will be mediating your personal disputes, necessarily.
This speaks to the power of prayer.
Prayer really works - prayer changes things.
Whether we pray for ourselves, the other person or whatever.
Prayer fosters - grace, humility and strength to approach conflicts from a place of love.
Prayer makes a real difference.
And it makes even more of a difference when we pray together.
When we pray together, like we do at Holy Mass or each Wednesday evening at 6pm here in this Church, literally in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
Jesus says it quite clearly -
Our Heavenly Father will answer those prayers,
because Jesus is there “in the midst of us” praying with us,
and the Father always grants the prayers of his Son.
There’s no catch to it.
Jesus means exactly what he says.
He is not a liar. He keeps his promises.
For our part we need to believe and pray and wait in faith.
Now if all of that fails,
talking to that person in a spirit of love and reconciliation,
working through others to try to achieve the same,
praying alone, together, in Church,
Jesus tells us to treat that person like a Gentile or Tax Collector.
He’s given us the all clear to walk away.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to be a victim.
So this week,
Let us be mindful of what Jesus tells us,
that we always be open to correction and reconciliation in our relationships with one another,
that we try to build bridges of love and understanding rather than walls of division and hatred,
That we do this all in conjunction with prayer for his intercession
And when all else fails
That we have the wherewithal to walk away.
Amen.
