DAILY- HOMILY

September 10, 2017 - 23th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Green

Ez 33: 7 -9 / Rom 13: 8- 10 / Mt 18: 15- 20

FROM THE FIRST READING:          Ez 33: 8- 9

     When I say to the wicked, "Wicked man, you shall die for sure," if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his ways, he will die because of his sin, but I will also call you to account for his blood. If you warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you yourself will be saved.

2nd READING:   Rom 13: 8- 10

     The one who loves his or her neighbor fulfilled the Law. For the commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet and whatever else are summarized in this one: You will love your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm, so love fulfills the whole Law.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 18: 15- 20

     Jesus said, "If your brother or sister has sinned against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private, and if he listens to you, you have won your brother. If you are not listened to, take with you one or two others so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard such a one as a pagan or a publican.

     "I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound, and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.

     "In like manner, I say to you, if on earth two of you are united in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among you."

REFLECTION

     Today's Mass readings tell us of our responsibility to one another, our responsibility of fraternal correction. There are various levels of correction: the most important is correction rooted in love. How do we know if the correction given to another is loving rather than condemning or hurting?

     It is said that the first sign of fraternal correction done in love is the presence of "aray." As one is correcting another, he feels "aray" while doing so: a loving parent feels pain giving feedback and correction to a child for wrong done; a friend himself feels hurt correcting his best friend. The "aray" which comes with the correction shows concern and a careful execution of the correction.

     The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel tells us of our responsibility to correct others: we are responsible to the Lord if we do not correct someone who had done evil; we are accountable to the Lord if we simply dismiss evil as if it were nothing. In Tagalog we say "pinapa!ampas ko na lang." It is a sin of omission which packages itself as an act of love.

     In the second reading Paul tells the Church in Rome that fraternal correction done in love cannot harm the neighbor: "Love cannot do the neighbor any harm, so love fulfills the whole Law."

     In the Gospel reading Jesus details various steps we can do in fraternal correction: first, between the one who was harmed and the one who did the harm; second, involve two or three others to settle the problem; and third, invite the Church, the community.

     Sin and harm to others are overcome by loving forgiveness between persons, within their larger community. Jesus sums up fraternal correction in the context of community living, "if on earth two of you are united in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are

gathered in my Name, I am there among you."

     At the center of fraternal correction is Jesus himself, he who heals our personal broken-ness, the broken-ness between persons and the painful broken-ness lived out in community.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     MARIO PONCE DE LEON

IN MEMORIAM (†)

     MARIA SY CHOA

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the eternal repose of the soul of Bernardo Santiago Jr.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

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