Gospel: August 14, 2024

(Wednesday)

19th Week in Ordinary Time

Psalter: Week 3 / (Red)

St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe, priest & martyr

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 113: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

1st Reading: Ezekiel 9: 1-7; 10: 18-22

Then he shouted loudly in my ears saying, “The punishment of the city is near; see, each one of these has in his hand his instrument of destruction.” And six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each one with his instrument of destruction. With them was a man clothed in linen, with writing material at his side. They came; and stopped near the altar of bronze.

Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from the cherubim, where it rested; and went to the threshold of the house. Yahweh called to the man clothed in linen; who had the material for writing at his side; and he said to him, “Pass through the center of the city, through Jerusalem, and trace a cross on the forehead of the men who sigh and groan, because of all the abominations committed in it.”

I heard him say to the others, “Now you may pass through the city, after him, and strike. Your eyes shall not look with pity; show no mercy! Do away with them all—old men, young men, virgins, children and women—but do not touch anyone marked with a cross.”

And, as they were told to begin with the Sanctuary, they struck the elders who were in front of the temple. Yahweh said to them, “Let the courts be filled with the slain and the temple be defiled with their blood: Go out!”

They went and slew the people in the city. The glory of Yahweh went from above the threshold of the house and went, to rest on the cherubim. Then the cherubim left, opening their wings and rising above the earth in my sight; and the wheels went with them. They halted at the east gate of the house of Yahweh; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

These were the living creatures I had seen under the God of Israel on the banks of the river Chebar. I recognized them as cherubim. Each had four faces, each had four wings; and they had what seemed like human hands under their wings. As for the appearance of their faces, they were the faces I had seen by the river Chebar, the same likeness. Each one went straight ahead.

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Gospel: Matthew 18: 15-20

If your brother has sinned against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private, and if he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If you are not listened to, take with you one or two others so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard such a one as a pagan or a publican.

I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.

In like manner, I say to you: if on earth two of you are united in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them.”

Reflection: “Losing and binding”

The authority of binding and losing was given to Peter in the context of his profession of faith (cf. Mt. 16:19). Now, in the context of the Discourse on the Church, this same authority was given to the rest of the apostles (cf. Mt. 18:18). Hence, the power to bind and to lose something has become part of the apostolic authority, which in turn is shared to the Church. The power of losing and binding is shared to the Church that God’s grace may be channeled to the people that the Church promises to serve. Furthermore, the context of this binding and losing authority in today’s Gospel provides a step-by-step approach on how to deal with a sinning brother. In the end, it is the assembled Church that must intervene to correct an erring person. Jesus said that if such person still does not listen to the Church, he must be treated like a pagan or a tax collector. However, we may further reflect on the way Jesus dealt with the pagan and tax collectors. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ practice is what his followers must emulate. Isn’t it that Jesus treated the pagan and tax collectors with mercy and love?