At the start of the pandemic in 2020, someone in our clan suggested that we gather online to pray during those uncertain times. Our family and the families of my husband’s siblings would log in at 8 p.m. to pray the Holy Rosary. Relatives from abroad would join us whenever their schedule allowed. Before we started praying, there would be antics from the grandnieces and grandnephews, life updates, and prayer requests.

We promised to pray for these intentions and rejoiced for every answered prayer. This was a good witness to the younger ones in the family. It showed them that if we come together in prayer for these intentions, God would listen to us and bless us according to His plans.

Praying the Holy Rosary as a clan not only brought us together during the pandemic but up to now. The rosary still unites us as a family seeking for answers to our prayers. It even taught the children how to properly pray the Holy Rosary. 

Rissa Espinosa (rissa_d_espinosa@yahoo.com)

reflect

“The family that prays together, stays together.” (Fr. Patrick Peyton, CSC)

Lord, may You hear the prayers I lift up to You and look upon them with favor.

Saint Dionysius, pray for us.

First Reading | Ezekiel 33:7-9

Let us be faithful to fulfill our responsibilities in life. We cannot blame others for our mistakes. We have fallen short of what is expected of us. In today’s world, we are quick to blame others for our problems when we are at fault. “Passing the buck” may be comforting at first, but it will never benefit us in the long run.

⁷ 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. ⁸ If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked man, 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.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

¹ Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. ² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalm to him. (R) ⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. ⁷ For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) ⁸ Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, ⁹ where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R) 

Second Reading | Romans 13:8-10

Paul explains that the only debts we should incur in life are debts of mutual love because these are worth the price we pay. Paul is not talking about money, but the debts we incur in our relationships with one another. May we recognize that friendship involves the debt of mutual obligation built on love. Let us love one another, knowing that true love always gives a great return to those willing to give it.

⁸ Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Gospel | Matthew 18:15-20 

Our relationships thrive through the giving and receiving of forgiveness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents the foundational steps for maintaining peace, yet reconciliation can take many forms. There is no single approach—whatever fosters genuine healing is the right path to take. Above all, what matters most is that reconciliation is pursued with sincerity and faithfulness.

Gospel Acclamation

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.”

Reflect

“Forgiveness is the remission of sins, for it is by this that what has been lost and was found is saved from being lost again.” (Saint Augustine)

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 61 - 65 today.

These days, parents tend to be lenient with their children. They coddle them—fearful they would rebel or sink into depression. But children need to be taught right from wrong during their formative years. So, even if it may prove to be challenging, parents need to be there for their children if they are to grow up morally upright and resilient.

The central theme of our Gospel today is fraternal correction. To call one’s attention to our brothers and sisters’ mistakes and wrongdoings, with the purpose of correcting them, is never easy. No one wants to be corrected. And most of us would choose to avoid the risk of offending others by pointing out and correcting their mistakes. Jesus offers us some practical advice on how to approach an erring member of the community. He gives us three easy steps. One, do it in private. Two, do it in the presence of a few who matter. Three, if it cannot be helped, do it before the whole community. Jesus even suggests that if the one at fault refuses to submit to correction, this may lead to the person’s mandatory separation from the group. 

Fraternal correction creates an opportunity for the offenders to rectify their error and make amends. We correct others because we care for them. At the heart of our correction is not so much to emphasize the idea that “I am right!” and “You are wrong!” What should motivate us is love and concern for the other.

We all have blind spots. We need people who truly care for us to confront us and correct us whenever we make false moves in life. We all desire to grow and mature as persons. This will only happen if we humbly recognize our imperfections and welcome corrections open-heartedly and open-mindedly. Ultimately, through God’s transforming grace, we will learn to conform our lives to the Truth, who is Christ Jesus Himself. 

Fr. Ricky Montañez, AA 

reflection question

Are you humble enough to accept correction and courageous enough to charitably offer it when needed?

Lord, grant me the wisdom to correct with compassion and the humility to be corrected with grace. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________