Gospel
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
REFLECTION
In every community, every family, there will be disagreements and misunderstandings. Even saints argued with one another. St Paul argued with St Peter, St Jerome with St Augustine for example. The point is to not allow disagreements to fester, but to try to work together, reconcile or sort things out. Did not Jesus say to forgive seventy-seven times? If you cannot reconcile, try and try again with different approaches.
That is tough to do as our human emotions set our hearts on fire for pouting, scowling, unable to work together and sometimes wishing the other harm or waiting for them to fail. In fact, quarreling comes quite easily to us and so natural. We must remind ourselves that we are made in the image of God, and so it is incumbent on us to try and be peacemakers. Reconcile with our neighbor who also is made in the image of God and who also has God residing in him.
Our saint of the day, St Stephen of Hungary, was the first King of Hungary. He waged many wars with rival tribes. St King Stephen saw the political necessity for Christianity and therefore, worked closely with Pope Silvester II. He had excellent organizational skills. St Stephen established episcopal sees, built a church in honor of the Mother of God. To help support the priests he commanded tithes to be paid. He abolished pagan customs as well as blasphemy, murder, adultery and thievery. There was to be no marriages of a christian with a pagan. He eventually abolished tribal property and established counties.
For success, whether of countries or human relationships, Christ must be the center. Reconciliation of grievances and misunderstandings and good christian behavior should always have Jesus Christ in the core abiding in us.
May the presence of the Spirt of Jesus change the hearts of our leaders.
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