Sermon – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ezekiel 33:7-9 | Matthew 18:15-20) – 6 September 2026

Today's readings remind us of a crucial truth for our Christian lives: we are responsible for one another's well-being.

To steer a sibling away from the wrong path, we must lovingly warn them and also be humble enough to accept warnings when necessary.

In the first reading , God addresses the prophet Ezekiel as follows:

I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel.

The lookout's duty is to warn when he sees danger. He cannot remain silent; for he is responsible for his brother's life.

In today's Gospel, Jesus also shows us the way to brotherly correction :

First, we need to talk to our brother privately.

If he doesn't listen to us, we can seek help from others. The aim of all this is not to humiliate the brother, but to win him back.

Jesus says:

If your brother listens to you, you've won him over.

Pay attention: Jesus doesn't say, "You won the argument." He doesn't say, "You proved you were right." He says, "You won your brother over . "

This is the essence of Christian rectification:

The aim is not to humiliate, to take revenge, or to show that we are superior.

The goal is our brother's well-being, salvation, and renewed closeness to God.

But for this, we need one very important virtue: humility .

It's easy to correct others. The real challenge is accepting that we need to be corrected.

When someone comes to us and says, "You're doing it wrong. This path isn't good for you. You need to change ," our first reaction is often to defend ourselves.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"Who do you think you are to say that to me?"

"You have your faults too!"

Sometimes, our pride prevents us from accepting warnings. Yet humility teaches us to say: "Perhaps I am truly wrong. Perhaps there is some truth in what this person says. Perhaps God is speaking to me through this person to change me."

Accepting a correction doesn't diminish us. On the contrary, it elevates us in the eyes of God. Because admitting our mistake and deciding to change requires great courage and humility.

We all need correction from time to time. We can all make mistakes, go astray, and stray from God.

A truly humble person is not someone who never makes mistakes . It's someone who, when they realize their mistake, can acknowledge it, apologize, and start again.

Therefore, let's ask ourselves this question today:

"When someone warns me, am I able to listen to them?"

Can I accept my mistakes?

Am I humble enough to say, 'You're right, I made a mistake,' when necessary?"

Jesus also teaches us to be mindful when correcting others.

When we correct someone, our goal shouldn't be to show superiority or to vent our anger.

First, we must ask ourselves:

"Do I really want what's best for this person, or am I just trying to prove I'm right?"

A genuine, brotherly warning stems from love.

A loving person will not remain indifferent to their sibling's wrongdoings. But they will not humiliate them either. They will speak to them with love and respect, as privately as possible, and wish them well.

We desperately need this in our families, friendships, and communities: people who can offer loving guidance and who are also humble enough to accept that guidance.

Sometimes God sends a brother or sister into our lives to show us a mistake that we ourselves might not see .

Therefore, let's not get stuck in our pride. Let's learn to listen, admit our mistakes, apologize, and change.

Let us ask our Lord for this favor today: Teach us to correct without belittling, and to accept correction without anger or pride.

So that we can say the following when necessary:

"I made a mistake. Please forgive me. I will try to change."

Because admitting a mistake isn't defeat; it's the first step towards overcoming it.

Accepting correction is not a humiliation; it can be an opportunity from God to grow, transform, and draw closer to Him.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary grant us, as servants of the humble Lord, an open, humble heart, sensitive to the voice of God.