From: Matthew 18:15-20
Fraternal Correction. The Apostles’ Authority
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
15-17. Here our Lord calls on us to work with Him for the sanctification of others
by means of fraternal correction, which is one of the ways we can do so. He
speaks as sternly about the sin of omission as He did about that of scandal (cf.
Chrysostom, “Hom. on St. Matthew”, 61).
There is an obligation on us to correct others. Our Lord identifies three stages
in correction: 1) alone; 2) in the presence of one or two witnesses; and 3) before
the Church. The first stage refers to giving scandal and to secret or private sins;
here correction should be given privately, just to the person himself, to avoid un-
necessarily publicizing a private matter and also to avoid hurting the person and
to make it easier for him to mend his ways. If this correction does not have the
desired effect, and the matter is a serious one, resort should be had to the se-
cond stage—looking for one or two friends, in case they have more influence on
him. The last stage is formal judicial correction by reference to the Church au-
thorities. If a sinner does not accept this correction, he should be excommuni-
cated; that is, separated from communion with the Church and Sacraments.
18. This verse needs to be understood in connection with the authority previous-
ly promised to Peter (cf. Matthew 16:13-19): it is the hierarchy of the Church
that exercises this power given by Christ to Peter, to the Apostles and their law-
ful successors — the Pope and the Bishops.
19-20. “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est: where charity and love resides, there
God is”, the Holy Thursday liturgy intones, drawing its inspiration from the sa-
cred text of 1 John 4:12. For it is true that love is inconceivable if there is only
one person: it implies the presence of two or more (cf. Aquinas, “Commentary
on St. Matthew”, 18:19-20). And so it is that when Christians meet together in
the name of Christ for the purpose of prayer, our Lord is present among them,
pleased to listen to the unanimous prayer of His disciples: “All those with one
accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the
mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14). This is why the Church from the very beginning
has practiced communal prayer (cf. Acts 12:5). There are religious practices—
few, short, daily “that have always been lived in Christian families and which I
think are marvelous—grace at meals, morning and night prayers, the family ro-
sary (even though nowadays this devotion to our Lady has been criticized by
some people). Customs vary from place to place, but I think one should always
encourage some acts of piety which the family can do together in a simple and
natural fashion” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 103).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Ezekiel 9:1-7,10:18-22 © |
---|
Psalm | Psalm 112:1-6 |
---|
Gospel | Matthew 18:15-20 © |
---|