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23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
September 7, 2008; Year: A
Ezek 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20
Go and point out the fault
First Reading...
"So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel
for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from
my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
If I say to the wicked, 'O wicked ones, you shall surely
die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn
from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity,
but their blood I will require at your hand.
But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and
they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die
in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life."
[Ezek. 33:7-9]
Second Reading...
"Owe no one anything, except to love one
another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the
law.
The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; You
shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not
covert'; and any other commandment, are summed up in
this word, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the
fulfilling of the law." [Rom. 13:8-10]
Gospel Reading...
"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." [Mt.
18:15-20]
Story:
"What is my fault? Sanjay, tell me! What's my mistake?"
On the eighteenth and final day of the Mahabharat War, a
mortally wounded Duryodhan breaks the eerie silence of
the battlefield with these words of self-pity.
Shocked by the critical wounds inflicted
on his master, Sanjay is speechless.
"Tell me Sanjay," Duryodhan continues,
"What have I done wrong? I've carried out all my duties,
studied the scriptures, performed sacrifices, made
donations.... And yes, I may be dying, but nobody has
had such a dignified death as this!"
Even on his death bed, Duryodhan is
unable to know the mistakes which have ruined his life.
In these final moments, he is searching for ways to pin
the blame for the Great War on the Pandavas. But, it is
all in vain, for history tells a different story - it
was Duryodhan who instigated the attempts to kill the
Pandavas; it was Duryodhan who craved and plotted to see
the Pandavas penniless; and it was Duryodhan who refused
to part with even a needle-tip size area of the land
which rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. And now he
asks, "What have I done wrong?"
All he can see at this time are the roses
of noble deeds he performed, but he does not see the
underlying thorns of misdeeds - thorns which had
punctured his happiness throughout his life. It was
these thorns which made him unable to tolerate any good
that happened to the Pandavas and made his life
miserable. But he never thought to remove those painful
thorns and enjoy the roses.
Duryodhan's question is not only confined to him alone.
It is an eternal question. One that is equally
applicable today and tomorrow, simply because every
person, to a great or lesser extent, believes that he is
free of blame for anything which goes wrong.
Students blame teachers for their poor results; children
blame parents and parents blame children for family
discord; while workers blame the management and the
management blames the worker. Everyone is blaming each
other, but nobody is prepared to shoulder the blame.
Nobody is prepared to search within for their faults.
And nobody is bold enough to admit their mistakes and do
something about them. This is the reason for the misery
which plagues our lives.
We speak of a thing as correct with
reference to some rule or standard of comparison; as, a
correct account, a correct likeness, a man of correct
deportment. We speak of a thing as accurate with
reference to the care bestowed upon its execution, and
the increased correctness to be expected there from; as,
an accurate statement, an accurate detail of
particulars. We speak of a thing as exact with reference
to that perfected state of a thing in which there is no
defect and no redundance; as, an exact coincidence, the
exact truth, an exact likeness. We speak of a thing as
precise when we think of it as strictly conformed to
some rule or model, as if cut down thereto; as a precise
conformity instructions; precisely right; he was very
precise in giving his directions.
Quality Control
In any industrial production process, a quality
controller is on hand to ensure that the product being
manufactured is up to standard. It is his responsibility
to ensure that faulty goods are rejected and only the
perfect products are packed for sale. Without this step,
a company's reputation is likely to suffer. The same is
true in life. By failing to assess our faults within,
and by not taking appropriate measures to correct them,
we are unable to live at peace with the world.
Hence, it is essential that we regularly pause and ask
ourselves, "What are my faults? And what can I do to
correct them." Only then can progress be made. This
habit of introspection is important in every aspect of
life. Consider a team - in football, cricket, baseball
or any other sport - which performs below standard. Only
by analysing and accepting their mistakes can individual
players and the team as a whole improve. To help a
player improve, the first necessity is for him to
analyse his own performance and his own strengths and
weaknesses. The second requirement is a good manager who
gives constructive criticism.
The Selling Game
If real progress is desired, then introspection,
admission of faults and steps for their correction are
essential. In the intensely competitive consumer
market, companies which adopt a self-critical review
policy succeed and progress rapidly. Those who believe,
"no consumer is wrong," or "if anything is wrong, it is
wrong with me," or "you can always improve" will be more
capable of meeting their customers' demands and so
increase their profits.
Regular Review
Until one reflects within, the intensity with which
baser instincts have taken a controlling grip in one's
life will not be realised. If one does not stop to
reflect, one's actions will lead one away from God.
The
same attitude of indifference and acceptance of sinful
ways can be said about other sins that have gradually
become acceptable within society by most of the people.
These are the sins of divorce, common-law relationships,
the practice of homosexuality, lesbianism, same sex
marriage, the removal of prayer from the schools, the
teaching of etc... All of these are perversions of the
truth that lead away from God's Holiness and holy ways.
While
some may be hesitant to speak up against the sins of
others, saying, "It is none of my business.", or "They
are protected under the Charter of Rights.", this is not
so according to God. As a Christian, we have an
obligation to make it our responsibility and we have an
obligation to contact our representatives of the
Government to ask that the Charter of Rights and the
laws be changed to reflect the ways of God. Until such
time as it is done, God will condemn us alongside those
who live in sin!
Regular review, regular check, regular correction,
examination is a must to make progress in our life.
First of all parents are invited to show the right path
to children, teachers are expected to correct children
so that they may really make progress and achieve their
goal. Management must review the condition or workers,
and workers must review their work performance, so that
they work as per their commitment they had made on the
day agreed to work in that firm.
Three types of Corrections:
Self corrections:
All of us invited to examine our conscience, everyday,
in the morning and in the evening. We have to from time
to time, examine our selves. As we correct our wrist
watches from time to time against the standard time
given by radio or by Greenwich Mean Time etc.
One to
one correction:
When we are really interested in the good of the other,
this is a powerful, confidential way of winning the
other and shaping his/her life. This type of correction
requires courage, sincerity, compassion, love, spirit of
forgiveness and acceptance.
Group
correction:
When there is a group, we all of us can cross examine
each other. We can make progress. That is called
community correction.
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 Dear friend, my
homilies will be posted on Thursdays and you can benefit
them and if you need more resources, you could contact
me on
rudyocd@yahoo.com or
rudyocd@gmail.com
Let us make this ministry
fruitful one so that the Word of God becomes a source of
joy for me and for you and help people become more aware
of its riches. You are also welcome to share your
feedback with me. Thanks and God bless.
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