XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
IN LOVE WE DISCOVER THE MEANING OF OUR LIFE
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
I start this reflection bringing to our minds the story of Cain and Abel, from the book of Genesis: “then the LORD asked Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He answered, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’” Many times we are tempted to think our salvation is personal, and rightly I say yes and no. God will ask us to give account for our life personally, not take us to the eternal court to be tried in conjunction with others. Before the divine judgment I will be alone with God, you will be alone with God, and nobody else. At the Divine Trial, God will ask us: How much did you love? How much did you love your neighbor? How much did you show love in every task you did? How much did you love God? St. John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic, affirmed: “In the evening of life we shall be judged on love.” So if we will be judged on love, our judgment is based on our relationship with the others, so my salvation does not only depend on me and God but rather depends on me, others and God.
The first reading for this Sunday Mass is from the prophet Ezekiel, the meaning is similar to that of the Gospel for this Sunday too. The first reading says in the beginning: “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me”. Every prophet tells the people everything and only what he gets from God. If God pronounces a death sentence it is not because of God’s pleasure in the destruction of the person but rather he seeks their conversion and their return to his way.
Today’s gospel gives us directions of how to conduct and proceed during the correction of our brothers and sisters who have lost their way and fallen into sin: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” If he continues in his sins, go with two or three witnesses, and if after that he still ignores you and the witnesses, tell to the community. The procedure is necessary to do as Jesus says in the Gospel, because we are looking for the conversion of the sinner. So, we are looking for him to leave his wrongdoing and seek reconciliation and logically, to seek his interior peace.
Concerned about the youth of our community, we now have a petition during the Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses in English and Spanish, because we want them to be reconciled to God, reconciled with their families and themselves. Saint John Paul II, in his message for the XXX World Day of Peace in 1997, wrote: “You young people, who cherish great hopes in your hearts, learn to live with one another in peace, without building barriers which stop you from sharing the treasures of other cultures and traditions. Respond to violence with works of peace, in order to build a world which is reconciled and fully human” (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages)
St. Paul in the second reading says: “Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” Love is a very nice word but many times the meaning has been distorted and voided, because it has been misused. To love is: worrying about other people, accepting them as they are: with their values and mistakes. Love is to go out of our way to help, serve and encourage them. Let us share the world with others and come out of our own little worlds, and share the good things, as God has shared with us. In love we discover the meaning of our life. Love is the face of Christianity and the way we show we are Christians. Living out this love is the only way we are conformed to our Master, Jesus Christ.
I want finish with this prayer from the Roman Missal: “renew by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbor. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”