Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Today's Word
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone." - Matthew 18:15 Full readings at USCCB
Real Talk
Jesus gives real instructions here for when someone hurts you, and they're harder than what most people actually do. Not: talk about it with everyone except them. Not: quietly decide you're done and go cold on them. Go to them. Directly. Alone. First.
That's uncomfortable for a reason. It's so much easier to vent to your friends about someone than to actually sit down with that person and say what happened. Venting feels like doing something about it, but most of the time it just spreads the hurt around to more people without ever giving the one who caused it a chance to hear it and respond.
God tells Ezekiel something with real weight in the first reading: I've made you a watchman. If you see something wrong and say nothing, that silence becomes your responsibility too. Staying quiet is a choice, and like any choice, it has a cost.
Paul gives the reason underneath the whole thing: love does no evil to the neighbor. Sometimes going directly to someone with a hard truth is the clearest form love actually takes.
The real question underneath "should I say something" is usually "do I actually want this relationship to survive" - because the answer changes everything about how you say it.
Your Challenge
Relational: Think of one person you've been talking about instead of talking to - a friend, someone at school, maybe even a family member. Go to them directly this week and say the actual thing, privately, without an audience.
One Prayer
Lord, it's so much easier to talk about someone than to talk to them. Give me the courage to go directly, and the love to make it about fixing things, not winning. Amen.
You are not alone. Submit your intentions and they'll be carried to Holy Hour this Sunday.
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