Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Go And Tell Him: The Gospel Way Of Fraternal Correction

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, September 6, 2026

A story is told of a young woman, Lucy, who strayed from the church as a teenager. After nine years of trying atheism, spiritism, and the New Age, she found her way back to the church by the grace of God. While recounting her escapades, Lucy said that what hurt her most during those nine years of spiritual exile was that no one in her church missed her. She said no one ever called to ask what was wrong or visited to find out why she stopped coming to church. She said, “Of course the indifference and the silence of all the people in my church gave me the impression that the church does not want me.” Of course, the church needs everybody, including people like Lucy. But what are we doing to help the many men and women in Lucy’s situation find their way back into the church, particularly into our parish? The first reading, second reading, and the Gospel invite us to examine our indifferent attitude toward the fallen and lax members of our church and remind us that we have a duty to reach out to them.

Some may argue that it is not their business if someone decides not to serve God again. But as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we are not only a priestly people who pray; we are also a prophetic people, God’s spokespersons. Each of us is an oracle and a mouthpiece of God. We are God’s representatives. We are not only hearers but doers of God’s word. 

In today’s first reading (Ezekiel 33:7-9), God tells Prophet Ezekiel: “I have appointed you watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.” This is a direct statement from the Lord to his prophet. If you didn’t know it before, know it now: we are all prophets. By the virtue of our baptism, we are all prophets, priests, and kings. The prophetic task is not for people like Ezekiel or the bishops, priests, and deacons alone. We are all prophets. The Lord has appointed us watchmen of the house of Israel. And don’t forget that, according to St. Paul, the Church is the new Israel. Do we know the Lord’s teaching? Do we know the Lord’s will? Have you tried to step out of your comfort zone to warn others—family members and even church members—about violations of the Lord’s teachings or views that are not in line with them? I know that the culture tells us not to judge, to stay in our lane, to mind our business, and to accept the principle of “live and let live.” But those philosophies are not rooted in the Bible. God has called us to bring God to others, or else we will be responsible for their lack of knowledge of God. St. Paul understood this clearly, which is why he said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “I am doomed if I do not preach the gospel.” 

The reason to warn others, especially those close to us, is that the Catholic Church believes in objective morality: right and wrong are real, unchanging truths that do not depend on personal feelings, cultural trends, or human opinion. I know there are cacophonies of voices telling us the opposite: that morality is a matter of convention, that I have my values and you have yours; that is why I don’t judge you, and you should not judge me either. But the Bible does not support that kind of subjectivism, relativism, or indifferentism. The Bible always takes a stand and insists on objective moral values. Why? Because moral values are grounded in the laws of God, which in turn are grounded in the being and nature of God. God is unchangeable. He is not swayed by human feelings or popular opinions, so neither is God’s truth. The idea of “my private opinion, your private opinion” is not the Bible. Period! 

With that in mind, let us consider what Jesus said about reaching out to a family member who has wronged us. His pastoral prescription is of great practical importance. It addresses how to engage in fraternal correction: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” In a broader sense, if your brother or sister is doing something that is self-destructive, something that harms the family’s name and reputation, or something that will hurt someone else, go to them and tell them their fault between you and them alone. Honestly, this sounds very simple, yet it is very difficult to do. It is much easier to complain to others, to gossip, or to post it on Facebook. And we all have a PhD in doing this. But the Lord’s way is to go to the person first. To love is to will the good of the other. If you will another’s good, bring the matter to their attention. 

But if the person does not listen, Jesus does not recommend bad-mouthing tourism on social media or in private conversations with your friends. He does not say, “Give up!” Instead, he encourages us to take the next step with the same attitude of love: “Take one or two others along with you.” Take people who believe in reconciliation, who are willing to help, and who have been involved in family intervention or in helping friends sort out their differences. But if this move does not work, again, Jesus does not say you should congratulate yourself and say, “Well, I tried,” and then give up. He says, go to the next level: “If he refuses to listen, tell the church.” The church is the community who, in Christ, cares about other people. But if he refuses to listen to the church, Jesus says, “treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” What does that mean? Love him, anyway! Continue to love him, nevertheless. Why? Because Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). And in your second reading (Romans 13:8-10), the great St. Paul says, “Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” I tell you, many broken relationships could have been saved if we followed this rule. So many heartaches could have been avoided if we followed these steps. 

God bless you!