I and my brother...

September 04, 2011

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ez 33,7-9 . Rm 13,8-10

Mt 18, 15-20

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Can it happen that we live on our own standards? I mean, can we live on our own ideals ONLY? No man is an island, as the song says of it. And indeed it is true. Most of the time, we need some guidance and understanding from our brother for us to continue and push through with our desires.

This thought calls to my mind those days when I was serving as Altar boy in our parish. I was the secretary then, but because of the incapacitated character of the coordinator and his assistant, I took charge of their positions. I thought that I could suffice already for the position that they are holding, and yet God called me years later to another status, as Worship Ministry secretary. I realized at that stance that I am not alone in giving the best of the liturgy for the community; I am a part of a team. I am a part of THE team. My ideas are having this new design because it is being beautified by others' thoughts. This made me appreciate the necessity of having a buddy or a partner. 

In the words of the Lord in today's Good News, we can feel the focus that Jesus wants us to dwell upon, that is in the words PARTNER, BUDDY, BROTHER. Just when we thought we are alone in this journey towards holiness, we look around and see that there is another beside us who is walking the same path.

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If it doesn't work, join two witnesses. If still he does not change, consult the Church. If everything fails, then treat him a tax collector or gentile.

Jesus tells the importance of forgiveness in an intimate manner. While the world says, ah! Hindi na niya mapapansin ang kasalanan ko, he tries to stress to us the need for true repentance. It needs interaction, it must have a two-way communication. We cannot rest at the feeling of sanity na dahil hindi na pinapansin ng iba ang pagkakamali natin. We need to communicate for us to experience true forgiveness. And in that instance, providence and brotherhood comes in. There comes Christian love: Love one another as I have loved you.

Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Prayer is our one-on-one communication with the Divine. But when our brother joins us, our prayer becomes more powerful and effective. Why? Because while one is enough, two heads are better than one.  Of course, to do this, we need a good company of a friend or brother. This happens most obviously during the assembly gathered at the Holy Eucharist. As one family of the redeemed, we partake on one prayer led by the High Priest, who else but our Lord Jesus himself. 

We see, our brother is important in building up our holy selves. Buddies are real proof of Christ's love for all of us. We cannot be real Christians if we do not show love for our brothers. We may ask ourselves, how real do we communicate with our neighbor? Sometimes we may feel isolation but we are reminded that we cannot live and die as a loner.

We need somebody to be with us.

We need somebody to forgive us and pray with us.

For where we show our love and concern with our brother/s, there enters the Lord.