10 September 2017 ( 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time )
 How do we tell our best friend that what he is
doing is blatantly against what we truly believe is
wrong? Would we risk loosing this valued
friendship? The first reading strongly tells us to
warn a brother living a sin, of the wrong he is
doing, as we would ultimately be responsible for
his sinful death. That we cannot live oblivious to
the plight of others, concerned only for our own
salvation. So how could we begin to help our
brother? The second reading states that one
commandment overrides all else “Love thy
neighbour as you would yourself”. Then the Gospel
explains how we could approach our brother of the
wrong he has done. We need to speak with
reverence and kindness, bring in sincere witnesses, not to shame him more, but to
allow him to see all angles so as to make wiser choices. We need to use all the
skills, compassion and love that God has given us and all other resources possible to
help him. Above all we do it not out of anger or condemnation but out of love for
him and his salvation. |