GOSPEL: MT 18:15-20
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Here are practical pastoral guidelines from Jesus, offered to servant leaders of the Church, on how to settle issues and conflicts among members. The first approach is to resolve the issue between the parties involved. The dialogue must be done face to face rather than through impersonal methods (like writing letters or sending messages by e-mail or text). The personal encounter will facilitate clear communication and eliminate “hearing” innuendos.
The next resort is to identify one or two persons who can serve as go-between and witnesses during the dialogue. If they fail, leaders of the Church will have to intervene, but if the parties remain recalcitrant, they ought to be set apart from the community with the fervent hope that they repent and return in the future.
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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
