23rd Sunday Ordinary Time - September 10th, 2023 (Click Here for Readings)

What a huge responsibility Ezekiel had to uplift the hopes of the Israelites in their captivity at Babylon, to warn the wicked of the fallouts of their ways, and then be accountable to God for carrying out his mission. 

If we ever had an urge to turn someone away from living in sin and felt that it seemed like God’s calling, how guilty would we have felt if we turned our head and went on about our own comfortable way? How enjoyable would that be to answer to God one day for our inactions!

Like Ezekiel, we are all called to be modern-day watchmen over our families, friends and others we come in contact with. We are responsible to God for others to be stellar examples of our faith. Our relationship can't be limited between God and ourselves. We need to keep alert to the sins of others and warn them as Ezekiel did in our own best and loving way.

In today’s letter from St. Paul to the Romans, he refers to love in action. When we love our neighbor as ourselves, we can begin to transfer our feelings to those in sin and encourage them to “go and sin no more.”
       
Let’s Talk About It

It takes love to resolve our conflicts with others. In today’s Gospel, the first condition for resolution is “If he listens to you.” When we approach the one who sins against us with a genuine love and willingness to listen to him or her as well, our chances for a successful outcome can rise dramatically.

But when we lack the virtue of love in our hearts; when we harbor one’s offense against us and carry a self-centered shield of judgement or disdain, we’re behind the eight ball from the start.

Along with this needed ingredient of love, Jesus also tells us to first approach the person who has offended us alone in confidence, to protect them from the embarrassment of being corrected publicly.

If our one-on-one approach is not successful, we can take a second step and get another witness for proof or mutual agreement of their sin against us. We just need to be careful about getting others to take our side and forcing our offender in a corner and accomplishing nothing.

Baby steps can be more succesful. . . one on one at first, then with a mutual friend as a second approach and as a last resort, to a higher authority as Jesus recommends. In all approaches, when we shed ourselves to our offenders as Jesus shed himself for us, they’ll be more often inclined to shed themselves to us and communicate more openly.

We are all called by God to be “watchmen” over our brothers and sisters as Ezekiel was. Let us view this calling not only as an obligation, but an opportunity to step outside of ourselves in loving service to encourage less sinfulness among us all. 

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