Wednesday, 3 December 2014

20140813 BASIS FOR THE WORK OF RECONCILIATION

20140813 BASIS FOR THE WORK OF RECONCILIATION  


Reading 1, Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22

1 Then he shouted loudly for me to hear, 'The scourges of the city are approaching, each carrying his weapon of destruction!'
2 Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. Among them was a man dressed in linen, with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt. They came in and halted in front of the bronze altar.
3 The glory of the God of Israel rose from above the winged creature where it had been, towards the threshold of the Temple. He called to the man dressed in linen with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt
4 and Yahweh said to him, 'Go all through the city, all through Jerusalem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who grieve and lament over all the loathsome practices in it.'
5 I heard him say to the others, 'Follow him through the city and strike. Not one glance of pity; show no mercy;
6 old men, young men, girls, children, women, kill and exterminate them all. But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in the Temple.
7 He said to them, 'Defile the Temple; fill the courts with corpses; then go out!' They went out and hacked their way through the city.
18 The glory of Yahweh then came out over the Temple threshold and paused over the winged creatures.
19 These raised their wings and rose from the ground as I watched, and the wheels were beside them. They paused at the entrance to the east gate of the Temple of Yahweh, with the glory of the God of Israel over them, above.
20 This was the winged creature I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Chebar; I knew that they were winged creatures.
21 Each had four faces and four wings and what seemed to be human hands under their wings.
22 Their faces were like those I had seen by the River Chebar. Each one moved straight forward.


Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

1 Alleluia! Praise, servants of Yahweh, praise the name of Yahweh.
2 Blessed be the name of Yahweh, henceforth and for ever.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, praised be the name of Yahweh!
4 Supreme over all nations is Yahweh, supreme over the heavens his glory.
5 Who is like Yahweh our God? His throne is set on high,
6 but he stoops to look down on heaven and earth.


Gospel, Matthew 18:15-20

15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.
16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge.
17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.
18 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'
BASIS FOR THE WORK OF RECONCILIATION  
SCRIPTURE READINGS: EZEKIEL 9:1-7, 10:18-22; MATTHEW 18:15-20
http://www.universalis.com/20140813/mass.htm
Many families today are estranged, because members feel betrayed, misunderstood or abandoned by the very people they expect to find loyalty, acceptance and love.  Indeed, many of our young are turning to friends instead of their parents or siblings when they need consolation or advice.  Spouses too, are driven to form extra-marital relationships, because they no longer feel that the person they are married to understand them, or share their interests, sorrows and pain.

In the first reading, prophet Ezekiel too, was rejected by his people because of the prophecy he made regarding the eventual destruction of Jerusalem. The people were also hurt and angry, because they felt that Ezekiel was destroying their morale.  They felt he was too pessimistic and a killjoy.

How then can we restore broken or injured relationships?  Jesus instructed His disciples on how we must confront the sin of division.  But knowing the steps to proceed in the work of reconciliation does not mean that we can do it.  This is because we ourselves could be lacking objectivity in judgment or are bias in assessing the situation.  Or else the person concerned might justify himself and refuse to listen to us.  So before we can actually employ the recommended procedures set by Jesus, we must be aware of the preconditions for the work of reconciliation.

Firstly, we must recognize our common sinfulness.  Unless we are humble enough to admit that in a breached relationship, two parties are normally at fault and none is totally exonerated, can we then speak of reconciliation.  More often than not, we feel that we are the just one and the other is the sinner.

Secondly, we must be motivated by charity and love.  Fraternal correction and the work of reconciliation cannot be undertaken by someone who is self-righteous, like the Pharisees.  Rather, it involves emptying ourselves in wanting to truly love our brother or sister who is estranged from us.  It is out of love and compassion that we seek to heal a relationship and not out of a need to judge who is right or wrong.

Thirdly, we must employ the weapon of humility.  Without humility, we can never see our own mistakes or have the courage to approach someone who refuses to be reconciled with us.  Without courage and humility, we will lack the objectivity to bring about any real reconciliation.  We will fear rejection and also the possibility that we need to admit the part we played in hurting the other person, or that the person will react negatively towards us.  Most of us are too proud to seek forgiveness.

Only when these conditions are present, can we then proceed according to the steps recommended by Jesus, by firstly going to our brother to settle the issue personally and privately without any mediator.  There is a real danger that quite often instead of seeking out the brother who has wronged us, we brood over the grievance and as a consequence poison the mind and heart.  When this situation continues, it becomes more and more difficult to approach the person.

When this step fails, then the next step would be to bring another person or persons, someone who is wise and objective to be the neutral party in helping to resolve the impasse.  When that also fails, only then should we turn to the Christian community, especially the leaders, to seek a solution based on Christ’s love and wisdom, rather than relying on coercive force or threat of legal action, such as a lawsuit.   When that fails as well, then Jesus tells us that we can treat him as a “tax-collector.” This does not mean to give up on them all together, or condemn them.  Rather, it means that our conscience is now clear that we have tried to do what we can to heal the breach of relationship.  The fault no longer lies in our court.  We cannot force a person to forgive us or to come to see the truth.  At the same time, we must remain open for reconciliation and hope that a day would come when the person who is ex-communicated will come to realization of his or her part in the broken relationship.

But where do we find humility, courage and compassion?  This is possible only in prayer.  Hence, Jesus concluded His teaching on fraternal correction by charging us once again, “If two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.”

Prayer, as all Popes remind us, is the key to ecumenism.  This is also the key to all efforts in the work of reconciliation as well.  Only prayer can help us to recognize our sinfulness and heal our blindness.  Only prayer can bring about personal conversion of hearts.  Only prayer can empower us to forgive and be forgiven.  Only prayer can empower us to be loving, compassionate and understanding.  Only prayer can give us the grace of humility and the power of forgiveness.  Only prayer can continue to give us the faith to hope that reconciliation will come one day.  Yes, before, during and after the work of reconciliation, we must pray, without which, no real healing or reconciliation can take place.

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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