“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.... For where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst.” – Matthew 18:18, 20

It was the night of the baptism of the Holy Spirit for the participants of the Life in the Spirit seminar in the parish church. There was a group of intercessors in the vicinity, praying together the whole time for the protection of the servants and the deliverance of the participants from bondage to sin.

       We didn’t realize how powerful those prayers were until the five-year-old daughter of one of the servants told her mom after the seminar that there were so many monsters screaming and jumping out of the windows and the doors of the church while we were all praying!

       Jesus doesn’t mince words. He doesn’t lie. If He said that He is there in the midst of people gathered in His Name, believe it. If only people could actually see what happens in the spiritual realm when people gather to pray, I think more people will get down on their knees and pray together for every little detail in their life. Ronna Ledesma (ronna_ledesma@yahoo.com.ph)

Reflection: There is nothing the devil fears more than a group of Christians who pray with believing hearts.

St. Pontian, pope, and Hippolytus, priest, martyrs, pray for us.

These images of destruction are meant to convey the importance of following the Law of God. I do not believe that God is going to strike down and kill anyone who does not follow Him, but I do believe that choosing not to be obedient to God’s Word will put us in a position that’s outside the full protective cover of His mercy and love. Simply stated, if we do not follow God’s will, we place our eternal salvation in grave jeopardy.

1 The Lord cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city! 2 With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writer’s case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer’s case at his waist, 4 saying to him: Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. 5 To the others I heard the Lord say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! 6 Old men, youths and maidens, women and children — wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple. 7 Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain; then go out and strike in the city. 10: 24 [18] Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. 25 [19] These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them. 26 [11:22] Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

R: The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

1 Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. (R) 3 From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the Lord to be praised. (R) 4 High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is his glory. (R) 5 Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high, 6 and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? (R)

Jesus outlines a process for discipline within the Christian community. It is not the only way to protect the truth. It is essential, though, to have the means to protect the purity of the Gospel. The process outlined here is very simple and it will only exclude those who refuse to submit to foundational truths of our faith. This is a highly reasonable process to have in our faith communities.

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

15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 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. 19 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. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

think:  It is essential to have the means to protect the purity of the Gospel.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Maccabees 11-12

THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is hard work and requires perseverance to be effective. There is a process outlined in today’s Gospel that provides a few rudimentary principles that we can apply. It is not a comprehensive description that will fit all occasions. Each of us will have to discern how to best forgive those who sin against us and ask forgiveness from those we have sinned against, according to the nature and circumstance of the act. This is not giving license to relativism. It is merely respecting the fact that no two situations are perfectly alike. Every person approaches things in a slightly different way and we need to respect that.

       Having said that, the basics are fundamental: Forgiveness is a goal whose path may be long and winding or relatively short, depending on the situation and the people involved. It is crucial that we always remember that there are at least two sides to any story and we need to be careful in making assumptions. In fact, assumptions are best avoided altogether. Dialogue and mutual understanding are the keys to conflict resolution.

       Jesus shows the way with the example of His life. For Him, there is no sin too big that cannot be forgiven. When you consider that even the smallest sin is of infinite insult to His goodness, this is saying something indeed. There are many horrific sins committed against innocent people but even these pale in comparison to how God experiences our sinfulness. Let us then, having received God’s mercy in our own lives, seek to give that same mercy to those who sin against us. Let us try to look beyond our own hurts and see the hurts and struggles of others, so that we may understand their actions better, no matter how hard it may be for us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you find it hard to forgive? Ask God for the grace to do so.

Jesus, You are the only way to the Father and that way includes the ministry of forgiveness. Help me to forgive others in the same way You have forgiven my sins.