Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 6, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
In this gospel reading, Jesus teaches his followers how to go about reconciling issues within the community. He begins with, “if another member of the community sins against you…” and then goes on to give some specific steps to bring about reconciliation.
When I read this gospel carefully I found that the reason behind these steps was not necessarily what I was expecting. It wasn’t about vindicating the person who was wronged. It wasn’t even primarily about forcing the sinner to acknowledge his or her wrongdoing. Jesus says, “If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” The process of reconciliation is about regaining members of the community. The process of reconciling our sins is not directed towards guilt, shame, blame, or retribution; it is about unity.
This gospel reminds me that the most basic unit of Chrisitian community is the relationship between one believer and another. There are billions of Christians in the world, but the success of our faith hinges on each believer’s ability to love, reconcile, and forgive another individual. This brings the Gospel call to “love thy neighbor” to a whole new level. This rings true for me in my life. I can think about being a Christian in the abstract but that commitment is really put to the test once I have a conflict with someone close to me such as a family member or a friend. When I am wronged, can I approach the person who wronged me with love and acceptance, truly seeking to bring them back into communion with me and the body of Christ? When I am the one who sins, can I recognize that what I did caused harm to the unity of the community instead of focusing only on myself?
Jesus ends this passage with the famous phrase, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Truly, the ability of just one person to reconcile with another is the foundation of Christ’s church and the very presence of God.
Prayer
God of unity and peace, our human nature drives us to dark places of competition and comparison among ourselves. Give us the humility to see one another as you see us, as people struggling towards to the same goal—eternal life with you. Help us to work together in harmony as we strive to grow in holiness. Let us listen to each other with patience, speak to each other with gentleness, and love one another with mercy. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Eleutherius was an abbot who led a monastery in sixth-century Italy, and was known for working miracles.
One story tells of him healing a boy of demonic possession. The boy was brought to his monastery for care and education, and for a long time exhibited no signs of his possession.
Eleutherius said, “Now that the devil has to deal with the servants of God he does not dare come near the child.” As soon as he had said this, the boy was convulsed by the demon. Eleutherius was ashamed for having boasted and commanded the whole community to fast and pray until the boy was healed.
At another time, Eleutherius is said to have raised a dead man back to life.
St. Eleutherius died in 585 in the monastery he led, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Eleutherius, you battled the devil and worked miracles—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Eleutherius is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed April 3, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
