Here are some of the main themes in the Mass Readings for the 23rd Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Ezekiel 33:7-9
God charges the prophet to warn the people of their wickedness.
If the prophet does not speak, both the people and the prophet will die.
If the prophet speaks and the people do not listen, the people will die, but the prophet will be saved because he did what the Lord commanded.
Psalm – 95:1-2,6-9
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
We acknowledge the Lord and bow down to worship the God who guides us.
2nd Reading – Romans 13:8-10
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.
Love fulfills all the commandments of the law.
Gospel – Matthew 18:15-20
If someone sins against us, we are to strive to address the fault, first with the person, then with others, and finally (if all else fails) with the church.
Where two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus, the Lord is present in their midst.
St. Paul speaks of sorrow and anguish about his own people who have rejected the Good News, echoing a similar pain that many people today express about their own loved ones. How do we move forward? By prayer and personal witness of God’s grace in our lives.
The teaching of the Lord’s Prayer within the context of Christ’s command regarding forgiveness offers us a powerful and essential way to draw closer to God and one another.
The teaching of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting is set within the context of a humble heart that does not seek human praise. When we do this, these spiritual disciplines take on extraordinary power to transform our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Aware of a trap that is set to ensnare him, Jesus responds with clever wisdom, inviting us to consider how we call upon God for grace and insight as we use all the resources we possess to deal with the challenges of life.
As Paul and his companions travel to Philippi, the Gospel is proclaimed in Europe for the first time. Guided in prayer, their successful encounter with Lydia reminds us that when we let the Lord lead us, we find a sure path to follow.