A Challenge of Brotherly Love
-
The readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time remind us of a very important aspect of our Christian faith. We are called to follow Christ not alone but together with our brothers and sisters. Christianity is lived out not in isolation, in separation from others, but in a community, together with other people. Even those monks of the primitive Church who lived in solitude in the desert would come together from time to time to meet their brothers. They chose that place and this kind of lifestyle not to escape from other people, but to fight against the devil and his temptations. Ultimately, there is no other way to serve Christ other than to serve the other person.
But living with others is not easy. Each one of us is a unique person with his or her strengths and weaknesses. We have our opinions, preferences, habits, points of view etc. To live with another person means to make some space for someone who is completely different from me in my life, in my heart, in my mind. It means to be constantly exposed to another way of thinking, reacting, feeling. It requires a constant adjustment and correction in the process of seeking for personal communion. And as we know, it can be a painful and challenging process accompanied by tensions and conflicts.
We experience those tensions and conflicts also in the Church – in our parish and local communities. And we don’t need to be surprised that they exist. We are different, and each of us has a unique way of looking at life. What makes us one is not the unanimity of opinions and views, but the bond of love created by the Holy Spirit.
The universal Church with all her numerous members is one not because we are the same – for we are not – but because the power of the Holy Spirit makes us one in faith and love. The that shared bond of love creates responsibility for each other and for the salvation of our souls.
The fraternal correction as advocated by Jesus in the gospel is an expression of this bond. The loving concern for a brother or a sister who have lost their friendship with Jesus through sin should stimulate in us a loving response of looking for those who have gone astray. It is not by coincidence that the gospel passages read this Sunday are preceded in the gospel of Matthew by the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus is his passionate love for our salvation is using all kinds of instruments to help us to follow the right path. I think too often our understanding of what faith is, of what Jesus calls us to do is too narrow, too individualistic, too self-centered. To love that brother and sister that God has put on my path will always be a challenge, but in the end it is the shortest and the safest path to heaven and to Jesus.
