23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading
Ezechiel 33:7–9
So thou, O son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and shalt tell it them from me.
When I say to the wicked: O wicked man, thou shalt surely die: if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way: that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
But if thou tell the wicked man, that he may be converted from his ways, and he be not converted from his way: he shall die in his iniquity: but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 94(95):1–2,6–9
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come let us praise the Lord with joy:
let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come let us adore and fall down:
and weep before the Lord that made us.
For he is the Lord our God:
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Today if you shall hear his voice,
harden not your hearts:
As in the provocation,
according to the day of temptation in the wilderness:
where your fathers tempted me,
they proved me, and saw my works.
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Second Reading
Romans 13:8–10
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law.
For Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet: and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself;
and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 18:15–20
But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.
And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.
And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.
Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.
Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning any thing whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven.
For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Reflection
Ezechiel’s calling as a watchman makes clear that love sometimes requires speech. He cannot force another person to repent, and he is not responsible for controlling the outcome. He is responsible, however, for faithfully delivering the word entrusted to him. Silence may appear peaceful while leaving someone to continue along a destructive path.
This responsibility must be understood carefully. The watchman speaks after hearing the word from God; he does not invent accusations or appoint himself judge of everyone around him. Christian correction begins with listening. Before confronting another person, we must allow God’s word to question our own motives, pride and conduct.
The psalm therefore places listening at the centre of worship: “Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” A hardened heart is not merely one that refuses criticism. It may also be a heart so convinced of its own righteousness that it can no longer recognise God speaking through another person. The same humility required to offer correction is needed to receive it.
Saint Paul gives the governing principle: “Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.” Love is not vague approval, nor does it pretend that harmful behaviour does not matter. Love seeks the genuine good of the neighbour and refuses to cause harm. The Catechism describes charity as the virtue by which we love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God (CCC 1822–1829).
This protects correction from becoming punishment disguised as concern. If our purpose is to embarrass someone, secure allies or establish our superiority, we have already departed from the path Christ gives. Truth without charity becomes a weapon; charity without truth becomes unwillingness to seek another person’s good.
Jesus begins with the smallest and most respectful encounter possible: “between thee and him alone.” There is no audience and no opportunity to turn another person’s failure into public entertainment. The purpose is stated plainly: “thou shalt gain thy brother.” The success of the conversation is measured by restored communion, not by victory in an argument.
Only when this private approach fails are one or two others involved. Their presence protects both parties, establishes what has occurred and introduces wider wisdom. If that also fails, the matter reaches the Church. The movement is gradual because a person’s dignity must be guarded even when wrongdoing needs to be addressed.
The authority to bind and loose shows that reconciliation is not merely a private feeling. Christ entrusts his Church with real responsibility for guarding communion, teaching the truth and ministering forgiveness. The Catechism connects this authority especially with the forgiveness of sins and the sacramental ministry of reconciliation (CCC 553; CCC 1444–1445).
Even the final step is not permission for contempt. To recognise that communion has been broken is not to stop desiring another person’s conversion. Christ himself treated pagans and tax collectors as people to whom mercy and a summons to new life must still be offered. Boundaries may be necessary, but hatred never becomes a Christian duty.
The Gospel concludes with Christ’s promise to be present where two or three gather in his name. This means that difficult conversations should be held in his presence, under his authority and with his purpose in view. The Church is not simply a gathering of people with matching opinions; she is a community in which the risen Lord acts to reconcile, heal and restore.
The readings ask us to resist two opposite failures: cowardly silence and loveless confrontation. Ezechiel calls us to speak when another person’s good is at stake. The psalm tells us to remain open when God’s voice addresses us. Paul gives love as the measure, and Jesus provides a patient path towards reconciliation.
One line to carry today:
Speak the truth to regain a brother, and receive the truth without hardening your heart.
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