Saint Teresa of Calcutta once wrote, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Community, when lived according to Christ’s command to love one another, fills us with joy and companionship. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that living as a Church also means holding one another accountable when a member of the community has gone astray. While we are not responsible for the choices others make, we have a responsibility to help one another out of love. Ezekiel’s task as a prophet was not always an easy one, nor is it easy today to speak out against injustice or wrongdoing. But the good news of our faith and our Church is that we belong to Christ and to each other. When we speak the truth in the face of injustice, it should serve to rally one another toward righteousness as we journey as one Body to the eternal glory of heaven.
Our Gospel speaks about moments where members of the Church help one another to recognise and turn away from sin. Each of us will have moments in which we need to be reminded of God’s commands and called to conversion. In those moments, we can give powerful witness to Christ by receiving the truth with humility and allowing ourselves to be led back to the loving arms of the Good Shepherd. Acceptance of our own shortcomings and flaws can be an opportunity to recognise that we are not the agents of our own salvation. Then, by seeking the love and forgiveness of God – especially in the sacrament of reconciliation – we show, by our example, that all people are called to be reconciled with our Lord so that we may live together in the fullness of his glory for all eternity.
Jesus acknowledges that, at times, we will encounter situations where fraternal correction seems fruitless. People are not always ready to change. That’s where the Church can be a powerful intercessor. Jesus tells us that 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. In the end, only God can change hearts. But as the Church, we can join together in powerfully interceding for them, asking the Holy Spirit to move their hearts toward reconciliation.
