Fr. Michael Williams

St Matthew’s gospel clearly shows that Jesus gathers and forms a community of believers. And to be part of the Lord’s community, His Church, means one will have to renounce individualism. To be part of the Lord’s community or church believers are called to give up egoism and selfishness, because these things destroy communities.

Egoism and selfishness are the building blocks of the individualism that we often find in our own modern society. A popular song that sums up this attitude is Frank Sinatra’s, ‘I did it my way’. People often say ‘I don’t need to go to Church I talk to God at home’ or ‘I don’t need to follow God’s commands, I have my own rules’. It’s the ‘my way’ approach to religion and morality. But ‘my way’ is not Jesus’ way.

To be a member of the Church means to live in community with Jesus and the rest of His disciples. To live in community with others means I don’t just think about myself and my own needs, it means I think about others and their needs too. In other words to be a part of the community of the Church means we must love. St Paul writes, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself’.

Of course the Church is made up of human beings who can and do go astray, when egoism and individualism takes hold. So in today’s gospel Jesus is telling us that part of loving one’s neighbour is fraternal correction. Correction is necessary for human beings who have fallen into sin and selfishness, because that destroys a persons dignity.

In the gospel Jesus says that the first step at correction is in a private way, away from the gaze of others. But if this fails others should be invited in to try and resolve the matter. And finally if this fails then the whole community should be brought in to deal with the situation. If this fails then the person is out of the community, as they are not willing to adhere to the Lord’s directives, which are for their good. This final act of excommunication is itself an act of mercy, as it allows the individual to think about the seriousness of their actions, and hopefully it will lead to repentance and a return to the community, to the Church.

To correct someone who has strayed from the true path is an act of love. It is never an act of love to confirm somebody who has strayed into sin. But Jesus tells us in the gospel that the whole process is a gradual one and driven by love. Correcting others should never descend into gossip or slander. Fraternal correction is ultimately about loving one’s neighbor.

It’s worth noting that ‘there is not only the duty to correct, but the duty to allow yourself to be corrected’ (Cantalamessa). Christ’s teaching on correcting others, should always be read in conjunction with another statement he once made, ‘Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye’ (Luke 6:42). We are all in need of correction!

So let’s pray for the courage to speak out against wrongdoing, and so help lead people who are out of communion with the Lord, back into communion with Him. And let us also be humble enough to accept correction when we are in need of it.