FIRST READING (If you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, I will hold you responsible for his death.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (33:7-9)

Thus says the Lord: You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9)

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Ps 95:8)

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. (R)

Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R)

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R)

SECOND READING (Love is the fulfillment of the law.)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (13:8-10)

Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2 Cor 5:19)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (R)

GOSPEL (If your brother or sister listens to you, you have won them over.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to 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.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

“MYOB – Mind Your Own Business!”  

When we were children, we would learn different slogans or sayings from our parents and elders, and one that was very familiar to me was the phrase, “Mind Your Own Beeswax!” Playing with friends in a field or during classes in school, somehow or other a small argument would start, and one child would shout out, “Mind your own beeswax!”  Something of the same meaning is found in the reverse, “Don’t be a busybody!” or “Keep your nose out of my business!” St. Paul, in his admonition to the Thessalonians (2 Thes. 4:11) brings up those who disrupt community life by “minding the business of others.” There is certainly no virtue in being a busybody. Our modern life promotes the concept of self-reliance and independence as attitudes to be praise. But these very attitudes cold be a veiled form of self-centeredness and radical individualism. Many believe sincerely that, if no one is getting hurt, the interests and concerns of others is none of my business, just as my business is none of their concern!

But we are social beings who live in a society, and societies are group-oriented and often the value of the individual is lost. Personal preferences are often sacrificed for what is considered the “common good.” One’s unique talents or interests are often suppressed as threats to the status quo. There is no privacy; there are no secrets. In the 19th century this was developed into a full-scale socio-political movement of utilitarianism where one’s usefulness defined one’s value. 

While we are social beings, we are still created uniquely by God – we are God’s creatures, each possessing qualities that unfold in surprising ways in our life. While we need the community in which to thrive, the community needs each of us – individuals – to grow and develop. The challenge we face is keeping these values in balance.

The prophet Ezekiel is chosen by God to be a “watchman for the house of Israel.” His call made him answerable to God for the spiritual well-being of others. As the spokesperson of God, he was to convey God’s word to the people, but it would be their own responsibility to accept that word and follow its direction. Anyone – parents, teachers, authorities, leaders – who has had to onerous task of “laying down the law,” knows that this can be a thankless task, and often a task that exacts a difficult and burdensome price. If only Ezekiel had simply ignored God and “minded his own business!” However, as “watchman of the house of Israel,” the spiritual well-being of the community WAS his business. Here we can see the intimate relationship between the righteousness of one member and the religious soundness of the entire group. The character of the group consists largely of the combined character of its members.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus insists that it is not enough for Christians to “mind their own business.” Each of us is responsible for the spiritual well-being of the entire community. Here, the community suffers from the sinfulness of one of its members. Reconciliation between the sinner and the one sinned against is necessary for the spiritual health of the entire group. Note here too that it is the aggrieved member who initiates the reconciliation. In other words, forgiveness precedes communal healing. 

The steps we are taught for the process of reconciliation are significant. First, we must ADDRESS THE OFFENSE, where it occurred, and between the individuals concerned. If this fails, we BRING OTHERS into the process. Only if this step fails, it should become a PUBLIC MATTER. If we see the faith community as a family rather than as a corporate organization, we can better appreciate the relationship between an individual and the entire group. The goodness and the failings of one member affect the entire family; all can feel the alienation of some.

But as we know, brothers and sisters, it is difficult to assume responsibility fo the whole community, especially today. A parish community can be so large or so spread out to make it virtually impossible to know many of the members. Making it more difficult, some members treat the church like a spiritual supermarket. They stop buy to get a few things they need, they make an appropriate monetary contribution, and the leave only to return if they need something again. And people don’t always go to the same local parish – we are a mobile society and people move around to different churches for different reasons. And in recent months, cut off as we have been by exterior forces, the parish church has been hampered from being a physical focal point for the community, a gathering place for friends, neighbours and their children. 

But this forced change in the character of our church community does not absolve us from our communal responsibilities to be responsible for each other. Rather it poses new challenges for us. We continue to be responsible for the spiritual well-being of the church community – through these taped Masses, through shared spirituality readings on our private St. Margaret’s English Community Facebook page, and through financial and moral support for the parish outreach. As difficult as it may be, we are still obliged to warn others – like Ezekiel – of the pitfalls of contemporary life. We can do this through the way we raise our children, through the way we conduct business, or how we participate in civic life. 

Perhaps the most difficult challenges we face lie in the realm of RECONCILIATION in this period. We live in a world of overwhelming turmoil. Parents and children, sisters and brothers are alienated; there is tremendous animosity within the church; governments no longer enjoy the trust and respect of their citizens; nations continue to nurse centuries-old grudges; and terrorism and global pandemics threaten us all. We can never experience real peace until and uless we are willing to admit our own faults and initiate the very difficult process of reconciliation. As we take even faltering steps towards such reconciliation, however, we are assured that Jesus will be in our midst, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst with them.” Yes, he is here as we gather through this weekly medium of prayers and Mass. He is here to remind us to be concerned and involved in the lives of those we hold dear and those around us in our faith community. We are called – like Ezekiel – to SPEAK THE TRUTH, to RESPECT OTHERS, and to HEAL.  Remember that Christian LOVE is not a feeling or an emotion but a RESPONSIBILITY. The greatest harm we can do to others when they face spiritual danger is to do nothing. And when others look at us and how we act or react to situations around us, when our morals are challenged, or when conflict arises, can they say about us something we heard a few years back,  that the dogma lives loudly within us! Do not be afraid to be our brother’s keeper and be mindful of his or her needs. 

Prayers

Celebrant: By his grace, Christ has gathered us in his name. Our prayer will be granted by our Father in heaven, for we know that Jesus is here in our midst.

READER:  That all members of the universal Church may walk together in unity, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That leaders of nations may respect human rights and reject repression and torture, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That people whose actions separate them from the Church may be reconciled, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That we may be just and loving as we live out the commandments of God in our community here, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For the deceased members of the Edwards and Tsoi families for whom this Mass is offered, and for those who have asked for our prayers, as well as for our faithful departed and the bereaved who mourn for them, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Lord God, our Father, grant the prayers of your people. We join them in the intercession of Jesus in our midst, our brother, priest, and king, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (all) AMEN.