Daily Reflection on the Gospel of Wednesday, August 16, 2023

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Today, in this brief evangelic fragment, the Lord teaches us three frequently ignored but important ways to proceed.

Understanding and advice for the friend or colleague. To warn him, in discreet intimacy («the two of you in private»), clearly («point out the fault»), of his erroneous attitude so that he can revitalize his way of life. Eventually, if the first advice did not result in anything positive, to get also a friend's collaboration. But if even in this way his conversion cannot be achieved and his sin causes great scandal, we must not doubt to exert the prophetic and public act of denouncing that, today, may just be a letter to a publication's director, or a demonstration or a banner. However, this way of acting is very demanding for whoever practicing it, and frequently, ungrateful and awkward. This is why so many find it much easier to choose what we wrongly call “Christian charity”, which is nothing but pure escapism, comfort, cowardice, false tolerance. In fact, «the same punishment awaits evildoers than the complacent who tolerate them» (St. Bernard). 

Every Christian has the right to demand from us priests the forgiveness of God and his Church. At a given moment, a psychologist may appease your state of mind; a psychiatrist, through medical care, can defeat an endogenous disorder. Both can therefore be very useful though, at times, prove to be insufficient. For God only may forgive, remove, forget, smash while destroying, the personal sin. And only his Church can tie or untie demeanours, while transcending Heaven’s judgment. And, thanks to all this enjoy an internal peace and start to be happy.

In the priest's hands and words lie the privilege of taking the bread for Jesus-Eucharist to actually become immanence and food. Any disciple from the Kingdom may join another one, or better still, many more, and with fervor, Faith, courage and Hope, submerge into the world to transform it in the true body of Jesus-Mystic. And in his company go to God Father that will listen to our pleas, for his Son promised us so, «for where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them» (Mt 18:20).