09-10-23 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes

September 10, 2023
(23rd Sunday Ordinary Time, A)
To Ezekiel, God said: Thus says the LORD: You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself.”  Ez_33:7-9

St. Paul wrote: The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Rom_13:8-10

Jesus outlined to His disciples a process of reconciliation between adversaries and concluded: “Again, amen, I say to you, 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.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  Mt_18:15-20

Today’s Scriptures present us with a pretty solemn and serious aspect of Life – Relationship. It’s something that can, at times, be difficult to live with, and yet, even more difficult to live without!  Relationships!

And God knows, we’ve had our challenges, right from the start. From Adam and Eve’s weakness with obedience, that expelled us from paradise, to Cain’s imbalance with pride, that led to the first murder, we’ve been riddled with Relationship issues for a long, long time.

And, it’s not that God hasn’t tried to teach us, over and over again. From the iron fist of Noah’s flood, to the subtle confusion of languages at Babel, God has tried.  And yet, we still, found it so hard to just cooperate with one another.

So, God tried “reverse psychology.” IF He could develop a close relationship with just ONE person, a person God named, Abraham.  And Abraham, with God’s help, could grow a family, and then a community, and then a nation, who would all – love God and one another, then maybe some of the rest of the world, despite, and even IN their pride and jealousy, might want a Relationship just like that, as well. And then, we would be Fixed!

But we know, in retrospect, that that wasn’t quite the answer either. Instead of a desire for unity and peace and love, all the world seemed to want – was power, and wealth, and fame. And the only way that they believed they could reach those goals was through lawsuits and murder and war. “Eliminate the competition!”

So, God gave us some RULES. He outlined for us TEN different ways to get along better. To get along with Him, and to get along with one another – to LOVE! And, well, maybe He should have been a little more careful in teaching them how to READ first, because I’d bet, that even today, 50% of us couldn’t even recite all TEN of those Commandments.

So, God began to send them Prophets. Prophets who would BE God’s mouthpiece, figuring that since the people couldn’t read, maybe they could HEAR instead. Yet, He found, that in their stubborn, rebellious, hardness of hearts, they squelched every last one of those Prophets. Those beautiful people who gave up everything they owned and risked their very necks every day to bring God’s LOVE into their world, to build – RELATIONSHIPS!

Those Prophets, our “Watchmen,” like our Pastors, like our Parents, and even we, ourselves, were CALLED to be ACCOUNTABLE to God – for assuring that our loved ones KNOW the cost and the benefits of their own free will choice. The free will choice that God has preserved IN us, despite our incomprehensible difficulties with Relationship. A choice to LIVE, or to burn, to BELIEVE, or to be left behind, a choice to RELATE, or to die in isolation.

You know, it’s one thing to preach Love:  To love those who love us in return; To help the needy; To comfort the hurting. All those works are truly important to life, as Jesus has taught us. And they make us feel good, besides. But when we are called: “Accountable” to confront those who hate us, those who have hurt us, or even those whom we have hurt ourselves, then this whole topic of Relationship becomes a little bit more challenging.

And How do we do that? How do we influence the thoughts and actions of the prideful, the greedy and the arrogant?

Now, keep in mind that God didn’t tell Ezekiel that he was accountable to CHANGE his adversaries, just to make sure he let them know the problem, and how to fix it. We are not called to take anyone’s free will away.  It’s ALWAYS their choice. But everyone should know the rewards and the consequences of their choices and their actions.

Today Jesus gives his disciples and us, the step-by-step Guide to conflict resolution. And it’s not about badmouthing, and gossip, and Facebook defaming. And it’s not about lawsuits and the destruction of a person’s dignity. And it’s not about starting wars, or genocides, or mass murders, to get our way, or to prove our point. The Guide that Jesus teaches us is all about, actually LIVING God’s Ten Commandments. Actually living the LOVE that we profess, even with our enemies.

And it proceeds in 3 – Simple Steps:

Number 1: we COMMUNICATE directly and confidentially, one–on–one with our adversary. Maybe it was all, simply, a miscommunication, and that will be the end of it.

But maybe not, and, IF NOT, then we move to . . .

Number 2: we bring in a neutral, third party – to validate both of our understandings of one another, still keeping the matter confidential from the public.

And IF resolution is still not possible, Jesus tells us to bring the matter to the Church; not to the lawyers, and not to our fists.  So, Number 3: is to chat together with a priest or a pastor. He will address our issues from a Pastoral, Scriptural and Grace-filled viewpoint, always keeping LOVE in the forefront of our discussions.

And remember, just like the advice God had for Ezekiel, we’re not called to change others, but to inform them. If resolution, still, cannot be accomplished, then we place it all in God’s hands. For God is the Just Judge of all. And He doesn’t want us to have to suffer the guilt and the pain that comes with retribution and revenge.

You know, sometimes, in our stubborn refusal to recognize the immense importance of Relationship, we and others can knowingly or unknowingly commit ourselves to the living fires of hell. And THAT’S something we neither want – for ourselves, or even for our worst of enemies!

Of course, our continual and final recourse is always PRAYER. We talk it over with God. We listen for His answers through the Scriptures. And we Pray as community, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, and with one another.

And Jesus reminds and consoles us, that where two or more are gathered together in His Name – THERE, and Here He IS: on our altar, and IN our hearts, and in all of our Relationships – of LOVE!

jmp 09-10-23

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