The spiritual core of community
September 6, 2026 – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95, R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.; Romans 13:8-10; Gospel – Matthew 18:15-20
This Sunday, I would like to invite you to reflect on the Gospel from the perspective of community. At a time when there is so much division in the world, in our country, and in the spheres of influence we move in, the sense of community is not just relevant but also a grace to pray for.
The first two points for reflection look at what causes divisions in communities and the way to heal the divisions. Our third point for reflection is the power of praying as one.
Correcting a wrong
Sin in its many forms causes divisions—both on the individual and communal levels—and the first remedy prescribed is fraternal correction in today’s Gospel. Jesus recommended that one must first talk to a brother or sister who offended you and privately point out his or her fault.
From Jesus’ prescription, the concept of fraternal correction developed theologically through various ages and by different scholars. This was in the Rule of St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas saw it as an act of charity.
We can readily identify how public debate—now done extensively through social media—can benefit a lot from fraternal correction. Social media, while good in some respects, has made debate and disagreements vicious, leaving little room for fraternal correction.
That’s because, at its core, fraternal correction is one-on-one, personal, or private and is an act of charity.
Healing divisions or wounds
Then the Lord proceeded and stated that if fraternal correction falls short, then the communal remedy is to bring others to witness. This is not a prosecutorial move but is still done out of charity.
The idea of having two or more witnesses is in Leviticus 19:17, but this is deepened in the Gospel into encouraging a collective or communal effort to resolve divisions. This way, different perspectives are considered, and a better understanding can be gained.
These two ways to resolve differences and heal divisions or wounds inflicted by sin or wrongdoing found a new expression in the path of synodality, which Pope Francis renewed in the church. Synodality is a way of being church by listening to one another, journeying with one another, and discerning together.
This has become the path which many church communities—conferences of bishops, dioceses, parishes—have taken as their modus vivendi et operandi. It is living and operating as a community.
A path of hope for humanity
In the final years of his papacy, Pope Francis championed synodality and was able to inspire the universal church to travel along this path. Many consider this his final and greatest contribution to the renewal of the church.
This too is a path of hope for humanity. In the interconnectedness of our world, we need to better listen to one another, journey together more closely, and discern together as a community more intimately.
In our environmental issues, the actions in one part of our world can have a global impact. With climate change caused by industrial emissions from advanced economies, the wrath of nature punishes the poorer communities.
One of the social justice themes discussed in many church meetings is the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor because of the degradation of our common home. Another example is the conflict in the Middle East. We witness to this day how this conflict has affected so many families with the economic downturn it continues to cause.
Add to this the growing disparity between the small minority who have access to and control over the majority of the world’s resources and the very overwhelming majority who have little to no access to resources. This compounds the scandal of widespread poverty.
That said, we need to champion once more the building of communities—from our homes to our neighborhoods and towards a more communal social order nationally and globally.
Our greatest hope
Action must be taken now. We begin with fraternal correction, which can create the environment for synodality, listening, journeying, and discerning as a community—coupled with action. This is the spiritual core of community. The Lord assured us:
“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.”
This is our greatest hope when our action as a community, our synodality, is rooted and grounded in community where the Lord is present.
Shakespeare’s lines spoken by Cassius in “Julius Caesar” give us something to consider that hopefully leads to prayer: “Men at some time are masters of their fates; The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.”
We must have the courage and faith that together we can shape our world into the Kingdom of God.
