Fraternal Correction

Dear Parishioners,

The first week of September is here, and with Labor Day weekend upon us, I find myself asking, “Where did the summer go?” Parish life begins to pick up again, and I am grateful for the many opportunities we have to embrace the richness of our Catholic faith.

As we begin a new season, I encourage each of you to find some way to grow in your relationship with Jesus and to become more deeply involved in the life of our parish. And, perhaps most importantly, invite a friend. There is something powerful about a personal invitation. Sometimes a simple invitation is all it takes to open a heart to God. We share God’s love one person at a time.

I especially invite all our teens to join us for a Lunch and Chat after the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, September 13. This will be an opportunity for us to listen to you and your parents, to talk about the year ahead, and to explore how we can support one another as we seek to follow the Lord. We want our young people to know that they have a home here at Saint Bernard and that we are walking with them on the journey of faith.

This Sunday’s Gospel speaks about fraternal correction. It is an important teaching for our time. We live in a culture where people are often quick to point out the errors of others, correct them, criticize them or give them “a piece of their mind.” Sometimes this is even done under the guise of “speaking the truth.” But there are several things that can be missing when we approach another person in this way.

First, there should be a relationship. We need to ask ourselves whether we are actually the person who should be offering this correction. Second, our motivation must be love. The purpose of correction is not to prove that we are right or to make ourselves feel superior. It is to help another person grow in truth and holiness and to remain in right relationship with God and others. Jesus gives us a process: speak privately to the person; if necessary, involve another person; and ultimately, bring the matter to the community. This is very different from publicly shaming someone, gossiping about them or criticizing them from a distance.

And even when Jesus speaks of treating someone “as a Gentile or a tax collector,” we should remember how Jesus Himself treated Gentiles and tax collectors. He did not give up on them. He sought them out. He ate with them. He called them to conversion. He desired to touch their hearts with mercy.

That is an important lesson for us. We live in a world where we can quickly criticize people we have never met and know very little about. The news, the internet and social media expose us constantly to the faults, failures and controversies of others. If we are not careful, this can turn us into judges; sometimes with an uncomfortable sense of self-righteousness. Jesus calls us to something better. He calls us to be true Christian brothers and sisters, people who speak the truth with charity, correct with humility, forgive generously and seek the good of others.

Perhaps this week we can ask ourselves: Am I trying to help someone become more like Christ, or am I simply trying to prove that I am right? Before correcting another person, perhaps we should pray, examine our own hearts and ask whether our words will bring that person closer to Jesus.

May the readings this weekend help us to live in right relationship with God and with one another; with those we love, with those with whom we disagree, and even with the stranger. God is in control. Jesus is our Savior. We do not save ourselves, and we certainly do not have to save everyone else. Our task is to follow Jesus, trust Him and allow His mercy and truth to shape the way we treat others.

Finally, I want to share a beautiful expression of God’s goodness through creation that occurs twice each year here at Saint Bernard. During these first days of September, the morning sunlight passes through our Holy Spirit Window and falls upon the Crucifix in the Sanctuary. This year, you can see this beautiful movement of light on September 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, approximately between 6:55 AM and 7:05 AM.

If you are an early riser, I encourage you to come and spend a few quiet moments with the Lord. Let the movement of the light remind you that God is always at work, even when we are not paying attention. Let the beauty of His creation speak to your heart. The church will be open, and it can be a beautiful way to begin the day: a few moments of silence, before the busyness begins, simply resting in the presence of the Lord.

May this new season be a time of renewed faith, deeper relationships and a greater willingness to follow Jesus wherever He leads us.

God bless you.