Papal Wednesday

Here are a few words from the Pope concerning fraternal correction in relation to this past Sunday's readings

"The Gospel text, taken from Matthew 18, which treats of the life of the Christian community, tells us that brotherly love also includes reciprocal responsibility, on account of which, if my brother sins against me, I must be charitable to him and, first of all, speak with him personally, showing him that that what he said or did is not good. This way of behaving is called fraternal correction: it is not a reaction to the offense I have suffered but a being moved by love for my brother. St. Augustine comments: "He who has offended you, in offending you, he has caused himself a grave injury, and will you not care for the wound of your brother? […] You must forget that you have been offended but not your brother’s wound" (Sermon 82, 7)."

"...All of this shows that there is a co-responsibility in the journey of the Christian life: everyone, conscious of his own limits and defects, is called to welcome fraternal correction and to help others with this particular service."

"...We must participate both in fraternal correction, which requires much humility and simplicity of heart, and in prayer, that it might rise up to God from a community truly united in Christ."

Reflect on the Pope's quote from St. Augustine today, "He who offended you, in offending you, he has caused himself a grave injury, and will you not care for the wound of your brother."

Sin of another gravely injures that person. Sin is a two edge knife, not only does it cut the one who is offended but it cuts more deeply the one who offends. Our personal hurt should never rise above the necessity of tending to the wound of the other.

How often does our personal hurt or the sting of our own injury blind us from the burn of sin in the other?

Fraternal correction is about true love not about personal vindication. We must seek the highest good of the other, only then can we truly heal from the affliction we have received.

Is this not what Christ does, "while we were sinners he died for us." It was and is his death that becomes the healing salve that cures the wound of our sins. He sheds his blood in order to keep the sins from destroying us.