Gospel Mt 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 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.”
Homily
There are many ways of resolving conflicts in our present world. One of the preferred methods of conflict resolution is the use of force. We live in a world in which “might is often mistaken for right” Because of this nations go to war so as to bring about peace. Because might is right, countries are subdued but conquerors, when there are conquerors, leave behind in the conquered a hardly disguised hatred, the guarantee of future and probably more bloody conflicts. There are really no winners with this method of conflict resolution. Violence neither respects the dignity of the vanquished nor that of the conqueror. When violence is used to resolve disagreements, be these between individuals or within the family or parish community or nation, we are all losers.
While we live in this atmosphere of violence we are reminder of the Church’s vocation to work for reconciliation throughout the world and to break down the walls dividing persons.
In the gospel given to us for our meditation this weekend, we see Jesus giving instructions to his disciples about the ways in which the community is to deal with conflict. This is important for us because we have all experienced conflict within our Christian and parish communities and unfortunately we are often influenced by the ways of the world as we go about trying to bring peace to our communities. Power is used autocratically, persons are not given a hearing, there is little discussion and little seeking of consensus.
Jesus gives a model to his disciples for future situations of conflict within the community. It is essentially a model in which all have a part to play. Persons are asked to deal with conflictual situations themselves. If that does not work, then mediation is to be tried; if mediation does not work, then the community is to be brought in, and if even this does not work, then the offending person is to be put out of the community, not so that they be lost but because being out of the community, they would not have the responsibilities that Christian living involves.
You are viagra cheapest likely to experience weaker erection or in some cases even before the actual intercourse. The combo pack learn this here now buying viagra uk of these two amazing products helps men to get out of the problem. Any kind of pain that is being felt greatly affects a person’s capability to enjoy life. buy viagra online usually in stock Newborn babies who are colicky, suffer from gastric reflux, have allergies, have chronic infections and have difficulties with breastfeeding are associated with problems generic viagra from canada such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, hormonal imbalance, etc. What is important is the respect for the person that the process demands. “If your brother does something wrong, go and discuss it with him alone.” In other words, do not broadcast it, do not try to win sympathizers, Deal with your brother as an equal. If this does not work involve some members of the community as mediators, not as judges, and only when this does not work is the community to be involved.
A system of conflict resolution is important for the Christian community because of the words of Jesus, “By this shall all people know that you are my disciples, by the love which you have for one another.” Conflict resolution preserves the love of the community.
The early Christian community found ways to resolve their conflicts. We remember the conflicts between the Jewish and the Greeks over the distribution of food to the widows. When the conflicts were solved there were only winners, there were no losers. Therein lies the secret of successful conflict resolution, there are only winners, no one is a loser.
The building of any true community, and therefore of any Christian community, presupposes the presence of structures for conflict resolution. These structures are necessary to protect and develop the unity which is one of the characteristics of communities of disciples of Jesus.
Today then as we celebrate our Eucharist we thank God for the people in our world who truly work to develop structures for the resolution of conflicts and to bring peace to our world. We remember the groups who work to bring and maintain peace between Palestinians and Israelis and between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, and between Christians and Moslems throughout the world. We pray for them that they may not fall prey to disillusionment and that their example be followed by others.
The gospel is the mirror in which we look at ourselves and so it challenges us as individuals and as a church as to whether we have structures to preserve the unity of our communities and to resolve the conflicts which arise in our families, and our parishes so that we can proclaim the truth of the message of Jesus. As Church do we see it as our responsibility to be fomenters of unity between the ethnic, religious and social groups in our country? As we celebrate our Eucharist today may we allow the Eucharist to be what it is meant to be, Sign and cause of unity in our Land.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, YOU have said to us, “Blessed are the peacemakers” not Blessed are those who love peace. Your son Jesus died so that the wall separating peoples could be removed. Help us as followers of Jesus to be Peacemakers, willing to suffer so that the wall separating people can be removed. Help us build the structures which foster peace so that Peace may reign in our families and countries and in the world. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Jesus your Son. Amen
