Gospel Reflection 2019/2020

23^RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

6 Sep 2020

[Matthew 18: 15-20 ]

“Love Christ, hate Church” is a growing phenomenon and it is gaining momentum worldwide.

Upon deeper reflections, we will find that such rhetoric may seem to attack the established Christian religion and institutional churches, especially the Catholic Church; but at the core of such rhetoric is always the sense of personal pride and individualism, abhorrence towards authority and rules, and ultimately the rejection of Jesus Christ Himself.

In the Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus stresses on the unity of the Church, the authority of the Church, and His Presence in the Church.

(1) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is not perfect.

The Church is made up of saints and sinners. We are on a pilgrimage towards perfection in Jesus Christ. Pope St John Paul II puts it beautifully that, “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus.” There will be disagreements within the Church. But our Lord Jesus exhorts us to strive to preserve the oneness of the Church by trying every means possible to resolve our disagreements through the hierarchical Church.

(2) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is given the authority.

Just two Sundays ago, we heard of Jesus giving the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and his successors (popes) after him: whatever they bind on earth is bound in heaven; whatever they loose on earth is loosed in heaven [Mt 16: 19]. The authority to the Pope and the Church in communion with him comes directly from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The authority given is not for the Church to lord over us or to enslave us; but rather, the authority is to empower the Church to teach, to preach, to govern, to build up and to sanctify the one People of God.

(3) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is the Presence of Jesus Himself.

Jesus is present in the Church: Where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them! Whenever we make the Sign of the Cross, we are spiritually connected by the grace of our Baptism with the universal Church even when we are praying alone physically. Every time when we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we pray without ceasing in unison with the entire Church. Every time, as we gather in the name of Christ as Church, to pray at our BECs, or to care for the sick in hospitals, or to support at wakes and funerals, Jesus Christ is there with us. At every Mass, when we celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as one Body of Christ, as commanded by our Lord, Jesus is really and truly present among us!

If we really know and love Jesus, we will never hate or leave His Church! If we love Christ, we will love His Body, the Church!

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lord Jesus Christ, may we, Your Church, always be one!”