Fresh Dew Media

 23^rd Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Fraternal Correction Is Neither Judgment nor Condemnation

Readings: Ez 33:1,7-9; Ps 94; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20

Dearest friends, we live in a world where individualism has deeply affected every aspect of life, including our Christian life. Today, many no longer feel responsible for the spiritual or moral well‑being of others. We live in a society where no one wants to be corrected, and where any attempt at correction is quickly labelled as judgment or condemnation. In such a context, the Church invites us to rediscover the true meaning of fraternal correction and the proper way to practice it.

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel receives a solemn mandate from God. The Lord appoints him as a watchman over the house of Israel and reveals what it means to be a prophet. Ezekiel is to warn sinners, to call the wicked to abandon their evil ways. If he speaks and the sinner repents, the sinner is saved. If he speaks and the sinner refuses, Ezekiel is not held responsible. But if Ezekiel fails to warn the sinner, and the sinner dies in his sin, God declares that the prophet will be held accountable. This is a powerful call to responsibility for the lives of others.

Dear friends, the first reading teaches us that correcting those who err—those who do not live according to the teachings of Christ, the Church, or sound moral principles—is a divine vocation, an act of charity. Fraternal correction belongs to every Christian because, through baptism, we share in Christ’s prophetic mission. Like Ezekiel, God has placed us as watchmen in the lives of others: to guide, to warn, and to help them walk in truth. If we fail to correct those who err, we share in the guilt of their sin. This is the clear message God gave to Ezekiel.

Therefore, it is wrong to feel judged or condemned when someone corrects us. Fraternal correction is neither judgment nor condemnation; it is not an intrusion into personal rights or privacy. It is a divine assignment. To those who believe that correction equals judgment, the Church invites you to change this mentality. Remember that Jesus corrected the scribes and Pharisees, and much of the New Testament consists of corrections offered by Jesus and His disciples. On the other hand, those who are afraid to correct others—those who think it is “not their business”—must remember that God will hold them accountable.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us clear procedures for fraternal correction within the Christian community. First, when someone offends us, we must speak to the person privately. It is wrong to spread a brother’s faults to others before speaking to him directly. This is a noble and effective way of resolving conflicts. If the offender does not listen, then we may involve one or two members of the community. Only when this fails should the matter be brought before the community. By this, Jesus teaches that conflicts among Christians should be resolved within the community—not through litigation, but through charity, dialogue, and the desire to win back a brother who has gone astray.

The second reading offers us the perfect spirit in which correction must be carried out: love. We must correct with love, forgive with love, and accept correction with love. Pride, harshness, and arrogance have no place in fraternal correction. Likewise, when we have offended others, love should move us to humbly seek forgiveness.

Dear friends, may the Lord grant us the courage to speak the truth, the humility to accept correction, and the charity to guide one another toward salvation.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima