OMELIE / Omelie EN

06 set 2020

06/09/2020 – 23rd Sunday in O. T. - year A

06/09/2020 – 23^rd Sunday in O. T. - year A

Reading 1  EZ 33,7-9  Psalm  94/95  Reading 2  ROM 13,8-10  Gospel  MT 18,15-20

The world which we live in is a field in which grow side by side weath and weeds. And we do not even know how to properly and clearly distinguish where the weath is and where the weeds are, because they are mixed even in our heart. When we realize that a brother of ours is mistaken or living in sin, we need to love him so much as to help him to understand his situation of being in spiritual danger. However we should always desire that someone was ready to do the same for us. Our mistakes and our sins are making our brethren suffer, dishonouring the Church and hindering the kingdom of God. If only we were always ready to let ourselves be corrected, be “judged”, by people whom the Lord gives judgement to, and the skill to tell God’s will from the selfish man's will! Who wants to be corrected becomes able also to correct, to show then lovingly to the brother the Father’s way to follow Jesus towards the cross.

Giving a brother this type of help is an art using very subtle and delicate colours. Jesus has practiced it with great tenderness and meekness, with wisdom and respectful science. And this is the way in which He wants to teach it to His community as well. “Tell him his fault between you and him alone”, He positively says. The one making the mistake maybe is not even aware of this, or, if he is aware, might be open to change his way. Only in case of proud hardening in the mistake it is allowed to resort to firmer approaches, always for their own good and the good of the community, which does not need any scandal, that is to say obstacles against the faith.

Whoever acts lovingly in the interest of the kingdom of God enjoys the assistance of the Holy Spirit, therefore enjoys the Father’s blessing: He loosens and binds what His children loosen and bind when they are united to the Son and among themselves. This unity therefore is recommended and commanded by Jesus: there is nothing more beautiful and more useful! When we are united in Jesus' name, so we obey Him, the Father Himself feels compelled to intervene in order to grant what we decide. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”: these words of our Lord’s strengthen our hope, give certainty to our communion, give light to our judgement.

Since I have taken seriously this word of Jesus' my life has changed. I have seen changing the life of everyone who has started looking for the unity in His name with their brethren in the faith. Jesus is truly there where someone in His name looks for unity in everything! Let us look for unity for the love of Jesus, not for the love of unity itself, neither for the love of the brethren: in this case we would risk giving way to compromises.

Let us try to be united, even if this costs us some renounce, so Jesus can be present: where He is present, He accomplishes His works, His miracles! Looking for unity in order for Jesus to be present, is the most beautiful and complete love we can give to men too, closer or far away! They will enjoy the benefits of Jesus' presence!

The debt we owe our neighbor, a unforgivable debt, - as Saint Paul tells us – can in this way be repaid, and not by us, poor men, but by the Lord Himself! Love towards everyone, close by or far away from us, cannot be felt  as something to be proud of. In fact, the love is not ours, always comes from the Father. He is the source of the love. For us to love is therefore a necessity, a duty: when we do not love we are far from God, and we ourselves live a dead life. We will be always aware of being channels of God’s love. The latter needs to go through us, it uses us as canals. If it does not flow, because of some blockage, we will become useless, unusable, even harmful. Everybody, in fact, is expecting from us signs or fruit of the Father’s love, and these are not coming. When you open a faucet, if water does not come out, how disappointed you are!

Our love will be towards also those who, as Ezekiel says, need to be straightened. It is required for us to have a serious and enlightened judgment. Humility and prayer are necessary. Without prayer we will not have light, without humility we will not be able to get closer to anyone, even less to the sinners that are far from God. They, despite everything, are very sensitive, and they realise if we are urged by love or by pretense or pride. Humility and prayer too are ingredients of the love of our heart.