Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin
Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you reveal to me through the redemption won for me by your Son the power of forgiveness and prayer. Help me to enter into this moment of prayer with you and hear what you wish to tell me today, so that your forgiveness and mercy may take root in my own heart.
Encountering Christ:
- Called to Purity of Intention: All that Christ does and asks us to do, in imitation of him, is to give life: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). He knows that our journey on this side of eternity will be imperfect, both because of the sufferings and sins we cause, and what others do to us. No suffering or hurt is hidden from him. Still, it is life, not death, that he desires. So he invites us to take on his gaze and heart: Only then can we go to our brother who has hurt us, and with forgiveness, love, patience, and prudence seek to bring him back to the light. Doing so always brings us back to the heart of Christ and of his Church, since he is the Light: He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6).
- Seeing As He Sees: This passage is a classic reference for fraternal correction: the Christian practice of helping another to live the truth in love and bring to his or her attention a real fault that may be causing harm to that person or to others. It’s rooted in the outward gaze of Christ himself toward his children: a gaze with no selfishness, no egotism, but one of pure love that begins in the truth and desires the good of others. It’s a practice that must constantly bring us back to our knees and to living in sincerity before God, since only his light can truly illuminate our hearts and purify our intentions for the good of others.
- The Power of Communion: There seems to be a special grace hidden in communion—in working together for the good of others and in praying together. Jesus highlighted both of these aspects in his words to his apostles. Let Jesus’s affirmation strengthen our faith in the power of intercessory prayer and the great gift he has given us in the Church and our own communities and families. He wishes to make himself present in the world through us in our communities. As he said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to see others, the world around me, and my own self with your eyes. Draw me close to you since you are the light who reveals the truth of all things. May I live and walk today in the light of your truth and love.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a concrete step to try to see someone who has hurt me with your loving eyes.
For Further Reflection: You may appreciate this Regnum Christi Essay on a similar topic: Sharpening Your Tongue: A Regnum Christi Essay On Charity in Our Words.
Beth Van de Voorde is a Regnum Christi Consecrated Woman, currently serving in pastoral ministry to families in Madrid, Spain. When she’s not reading Ratzinger or humming along to some song or another, you may find her making her pilgrim way through Spain’s timeless history of faith, walking alongside the beautiful families she’s there to serve.
