2026/09/06 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

- Ed Harasim, Pastoral Associate

Actively Seeking Reconciliation

A few years ago, I was helping to care for a longtime friend who was suffering with terminal metastatic cancer. I drove him to his radiation appointments, which were clearly palliative, not curative.

He had one sister, younger by a few years, and was in close contact with his niece and her family. Some years before, he had stopped communicating with his sister over a disagreement in expectations they each had of their relationship. Now, any communication between them was mediated through his niece.

One day, while he was in the process of undergoing radiation, his niece visited him and let him know that his sister wanted to re-open the lines of communication. I suggested he might want to reach out to her. His answer was a definitive “no!” He was adamant that past unresolved angers and disappointments would continue to separate them. He died several months later without re-establishing communication with his sister.

In today’s gospel Jesus recommends a path toward reconciliation. The key dynamic is communication. Although Jesus uses the example of a clearcut wrong which he calls “sin,” there are other situations that cause us to cut off communication with another.

How often have you felt offended and carried a grudge based on what you perceived to be an offense against you? I know I have and sometimes the result is what today’s culture describes as “cancellation.” It’s literally cutting off contact with another, ignoring them. The result is that our hurt festers.

Jesus proposes a better way. If your brother sins against you, tell him his fault privately. Jesus is presuming a “wrong” done against you. And sometimes someone has wronged you

But there are also times when we hold onto an “alleged wrong.”  We believe someone has intentionally hurt us, although the truth is that someone has acted out of their own personal situation that had nothing to do with us.

Someone may say something hurtful to us that arose out of their anger at another person or situation. If we don’t address the “wrong,” it can fester for a long time, even years. Direct communication with the person is key. It can go a long way to help us understand the motives and situation of another person, thus healing a relationship and creating a stronger bond.

Today’s Gospel concludes with the power of prayer offered through relationship. When we lift our voices together to our heavenly Father, we invite Jesus to be present among us. Jesus is the great reconciler, who brings our needs before the Father. Let us invite his presence when we gather, especially when we’re in need of reconciliation.