LISTEN TO HIS VOICE

XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 18:15-20

This Sunday’s first reading is taken from the prophet Ezekiel and invites us to reflect on the role of the prophet. He is a human being – "son of man” – called by God and entrusted with a mission: “Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel.” (Ez 33:7-9) A sentry must be on the alert and keep guard to warn, protect and defend. The prophet is called to be at the service of God’s word. He should never betray his ministry and must remain faithful to the Lord who sent him. A true prophet does not preach his own word but God’s word. He has no right to ignore, change or adapt God’s word. He is answerable to God, not to the people who hear his preaching. In our times, like in the times of Israel, there are false prophets and fake preachers who do everything to please the crowds and be surrounded by multitudes. Some become rich and powerful preaching the Gospel, thus becoming unfaithful to their mission. As a sentry, the prophet must warn people to abandon their evil ways and turn back to the Lord. The true prophet must call on people to repent and convert. The great prophet John the Baptist did that, and so did Jesus. The unfaithful prophets will be held accountable for their evil behaviour.

In the second reading, taken from the letter to the Romans, Paul insists on love as being the full obedience to the commandments. The one who is moved by love cannot hurt his neighbour. Love is the fulfilment of the law, doing everything for the well-being of others. If we experienced God’s love, we would learn the way of mercy and compassion, allowing our hearts to be touched by the suffering of others. According to Paul, mutual love is the debt we have to others, and this is a debt that must be paid.

This mutual love must lead us to do a brotherly correction, which must be done in a sensible way and with respect. We must worry about the salvation of our brothers and sisters and do everything in our power to help them to walk along the way to salvation. We may do it with our prayer and our word and hope that they will do the same to us so that we may share together in God’s glory as we shared the difficult journey of life in this world.

Let us keep in mind the words of the psalmist:

O that today you would listen to his voice!

  ‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

  as on that day at Massah in the desert

when your fathers put me to the test;

  when they tried me, though they saw my work.’

Psalm 95