23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
1st Reading: Ez 33:7-9
For your part, son of man, I have set you as a watchman for Israel; and when you hear my word, you must give them my warning. When I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked man, you shall die for sure,‘ if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his ways, he will die because of his sin; but I will also call you to account for his blood. If you warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin; but you, yourself, will be saved.
2nd Reading: Rom 13: 8-10
Do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another: Love. The one who loves his or her neighbor fulfills the law. For the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet, and whatever else, are summarized in this one: You will love your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm; so love fulfills the whole law.
Gospel: Mt 18:15-20
If your brother has sinned against you, go and point out the fault to him, when the two of you are alone; and if he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he doesn‘t listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard him as a pagan, or a tax collector.
I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.
In like manner, I say to you, if, on earth, two of you agree in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father; for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there, among them.“
REFLECTION:
Read: The prophet is reminded of his responsibility for the salvation of the other. We are mandated to love our neighbors, reminds Paul. Jesus talks of the need to be committed to the spiritual wellbeing of our brothers and sisters.
Reflect: As Immanuel Levinas observed, the face of the other is an ethical imperative. None of us lives in individualized, private worlds whether the other does not count. We carry a great responsibility for the spiritual good of the other. How well do we care for this mandate from Christ?
Pray: Pray for a few persons who need conversion of heart.
Act: Identify a person who needs gentle correction, and do it respectfully and lovingly.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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