How often do we take responsibility
for the life of others? Many a times, we are concerned for our well-being and the
protection of our comfort zones, which may include the few individuals within
our circle. The common trend today is to exclude or ‘walk away’ from those who
disagree with us or who corrects us. So people these days form ‘uniformity’ and
flock around those who will tell them what they want to hear. Even when we hear admonitions from the word
of God, we tend to select what we want to hear and respond to, especially if
the message is to our advantage. Still, the messenger must deliver the message
God gave him.
This is the instruction the prophet Ezekiel got in the first reading of today. His prophetic mission included delivering God’s message of repentance to the sinner. Yes, the sinner is free to repent or not, but the prophet must take responsibility to ensure that God’s message gets to man. Here, the salvation of the sinner is indirectly hinged on the prophetic mandate. Therefore, if the prophet fails to carry out his duty, God would hold him accountable for the death of the sinner. But if he delivers his message, whether the sinner repents or not, the prophet would have saved his life.
In the Gospel, Jesus stands before us as the fulfilment of the law and the prophets. He has won the forgiveness of our sins so that sinners may be reconciled with God. And he established in His Church the ministry of reconciliation; “God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). So, we have a new ‘prophetic mandate’ issuing from Jesus as He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens, you have gained your brother.” Like Ezekiel the watchman, Jesus placed the care of the soul of our brother in our hands. We must take responsibility by taking every step necessary to be reconciled with him. The new prophetic watchman looks for every possible means to heal wounds and restore unity.
What are the reasons to seek for forgiveness and reconciliation? Jesus answers that it is to gain your brother back. This unity is answered prayer; unity of intention wins us God’s favour. And the Lord dwells among us when we are united. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Grudge, unforgiveness and disunity are serious obstacles to prayer. Everyone wins when we are reconciled to each other. Healing the wounds of disunity is part of the ‘prophetic mandate’ we received at baptism. Thus, if we want to be reconciled with Christ Jesus and be saved, we too must be reconciled with one another.
Therefore, we do not live a self-enclosed life that bears no responsibility for others. Our Christian life overflows in love to care for our neighbour. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.” Yes, the command to feed the hungry and clothe the naked includes reaching out the hand of forgiveness to those hungry for reconciliation. You have been positioned as a watchman, hanging with Christ on the Cross of forgiveness. There we crucify our pride, forgiven, nourished and fed by the Body and Blood of Christ, we are strengthened to raise up the fallen. The power of the Cross is manifested in forgiveness. “We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Rm 15:1). May God give us the grace to heal the wounds that divide us. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic
Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday September 6th,
2020.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
