Within the church and within our communities there will be times when we have to fraternally correct others in order to bring about their holiness and sanctification. The emphasis in this passage from Jesus is about first and foremost, reconciliation. However, if there is a resistance to private correction then Jesus advises one or two witnesses to assist and if this fails Christ’s authority through the Pope, Bishop is exercised before the church’s formal judicial system. Again, Jesus primarily seeks the penitence of the sinner privately and without public humiliation but the impenitent sinner, leads to a more public process.
Jesus concludes today’s Gospel by speaking about those who meet together in his name and for the purpose of prayer, that he makes himself present to them. The church encourages communal prayer and in the Acts of the Apostles 1: 14 we see this in action “All those with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus”.
In our families we can introduce if we do not do so already, the grace before and after meals prayer, morning and night prayer, the rosary or at least a decade. These prayers can bring us closer together as a family and bring Jesus into our family each day.
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