Today's gospel (Matthew 18:15-20) speaks to us of rules and process, of forgiveness and
reconciliation, which might not seem to connect.
Today's world, particularly in the United States, seems to be a very litigious society. People are ready to sue and lay fault at another, perhaps accountability and personal responsibility are a thing of the past? Laws and processes are ever-present, in both civil society and the Church.
Even today's gospel has Jesus establishing a procedure to identify untruth and rectifying the
matter of dispute so that reconciliation, and fault, may be the end result. Much like the Church's
current annulment process for marriages, the goal is not to lay blame, based on percentages, at one set of feet or another but rather is meant to identify a flaw in the sacramental nature of a marriage and bring reconciliation to both parties. While civilly a divorce focuses on the "end" of a marriage, the annulment focuses on and at the "beginning" of the marriage.
In Matthew 18 Jesus states a three pronged process: first, keep it private and between the two parties and if that fails, second, go to a larger group of witnesses who are best able, objectively, to ascertain the true facts; if that fails, third, come to the Church--the wider community is disciples, and seek the truth. Here, Jesus places a focus on reconciliation and harmony. For if we listen to the words of the Our Father we hear "...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
We need to understand that a forgiving heart, and one that seeks truth, is a heart that is open to the glory and grace of God our Father and the Eternal Promises He offers to each and everyone of us. That kind of heart always seeks justice and peace for all, and not simply for the advantage of the self. That action is of a Christian heart formed and conformed to Christ's Sacred Heart and one that is loving for all.
Through His life and public ministry Jesus offered and taught the importance of forgiveness for all, corporately and personally. Today Jesus speaks to forgiveness within the Church and it is a process for reconciliation so that a sinful member may be restored to full communion with and within the Church.
Scripture scholars remind us that in Leviticus (19:17-18) "reproving” a fellow Israelite is a sign of
love and keeps resentment from growing among them." The same three-step process is used so that privacy shows respect for the erring person.
This private-yet-group process comes to us after Jesus had conferred on Peter and His Church the power to loose or bind on earth that which shall be held in heaven. And the words about treating those who do not wish to be reconciled as "Gentiles or tax collectors" has Jesus reminding us that "even Gentiles and tax collectors are welcomed into the community if they believe in Jesus and show the fruits of repentance in their lives." So too will anyone who finally repents be welcomed home.
As a parish community, as a universal Church, and as individual people (believers) of the Christian faith we too must be open to being forgiven for our trespasses as well as offering a heart that too is forgiving of those who have offended us. Never close the door to reconciliation and never really mean the often stated phase, "he or she is dead to me." That's a hard door to reopen, sadly.