Pastor's Message

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday Readings

First Reading (Ezekiel 33.7-9)

Thus says the Lord: “So you, O son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. “If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked one, you shall surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked person shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand.

“But if you warn the wicked person to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, they shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.”

Responsorial Psalm: O that today you would listen to the voice of the Lord. Do not harden your hearts!  Psalm 95

Second Reading (Romans 13.8-10)

Brothers and Sisters: Owe no one anything, 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 murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Gospel according to Matthew 18.15-20

Jesus spoke to his disciples. “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If he or she listens to you, you have regained your brother or sister. But if the person does not listen, take one or two others along with your, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if that person refuses to listen even to the Church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heave. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

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