Year A
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.
See our music recommendations for the liturgy.
Tough Love
‘If…you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death.’ This is the harsh message from the prophet Ezekiel in today’s first reading. It is reinforced by Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens you have won back your brother.’
But what if he doesn’t listen? What if he takes offence at you pointing out a flaw in his character or tells you to stop interfering when you try to prevent him from acting in a reckless or morally irresponsible way? Then you risk losing your brother and being cut off for ever from his friendship and love. But Ezekiel is realistic about this risk and implies that losing the friendship or love of a treasured brother or friend is better than saying nothing and allowing him to die in his sin. He adds that, additionally, in that event, we will be held responsible for his death.
Nowhere is the challenge of witnessing to Christ more painfully and chillingly put to the test than here. This was brought starkly home to me recently when a colleague with whom I once worked took his life after an allegation of historical abuse was made against him. Many years ago I had noticed aspects of his speech and morality that gave me cause for concern, but I said nothing for fear of alienating his friendship. Perhaps, if I had said something then it would have made no difference, but at least I would have tried. Now I have to live with the consequences. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”, so said Edmund Burke. It’s a hard way to learn the powerful lesson of today’s readings.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Catholicism of the Catholic Church References:
CCC 2055: the Decalogue summed up in one command to love
CCC 1443-1445: reconciliation with the Church
CCC 2842-2845: "as we forgive those who trespass against us"
Today and tomorrow are special diocesan days of prayer for everyone involved in our Catholic schools (see ORDO). There is an optional second collection for the Catholic Education Service. There are several motifs in our readings and prayers today that might usefully inform and underscore our core educational values:
1. We are a family sustained and governed by God’s love and mercy; Entrance Antiphon (your judgement is right…merciful love), Collect (beloved adopted sons and daughters), Psalm (Us/We), Second Reading (commandments/love your neighbour), Gospel (where two or three meet), Prayer over the Offerings (we may be faithfully united), Prayer after Communion (your faithful…we may merit)
2. God’s justice is oriented towards truth and reconciliation, not retribution: First Reading, Psalm, Gospel
3. We have a responsibility of loving care (even tough love) for one another: First Reading. Second Reading, Gospel
4. We are called to encourage one another: Psalm, Second Reading
Is this a Sunday to involve our school communities somehow? Perhaps display board, uniformed presence, welcomers, readers, General Intercessions, Procession of the Gifts, newsletter article, or website links?
Subsidiary point: The Gospel speaks of binding and loosing: Do we bind more than we loose or loose more than we bind?
These hymns have been picked and chosen from different sources.
A new commandment I give to you CFE4, L920, LHON133
Brother, sister, let me serve you LHON186, L924
Make me a channel of your peace CFE478, L898, LHON470
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
