Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - Wednesday in the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and Matthew 18:15-20]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 doeds 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......
Some years ago, back in the early '90's, I was asked to serve out the remaining years of a term of office for the brother whom we call the "Socius" or "Vicar-Provincial" to the Prior Provincial of our province. These are the two top folks in a Dominican province (territorial unit). As is often the case in any organization, some folks are reluctant to go to the guy at the top but will call the "sidekick" and send a message that way! One the kinds of calls I used to get would concern a brother whose behavior was disruptive in the community. The essence of the call was that somebody from the top had to come over and read the riot act to the guy and "make him" behave! My response to that was usually that the constitutions of the Order gave the local community the authority to handle the matter! This was not the response most of them were looking for, but I remain convinced that it was the correct one! "Fraternal correction" remains one of the most delicate and difficult subjects of community life. The gospel for today's Eucharistic liturgy gives a good perspective on this. The context is set right away. There is an implicit question: What does the community do with troublemakers? Yes, even in that early community which is often idealized there were troublemakers! St. Paul's letters make ample reference to such things! In this case it starts with an offense by one against another. In many cases, the "another" is simply the one who has decided not to suffer what others have been suffering for a long time in silence! When the offender refuses to change, then an "intervention" is called for! Those who have worked in 12-step processes know well this kind of experience! Jesus gives the community the power to "bind and loose." He also places prayer at the center of this process as well. The prayer of the community is an experience of his presence and it is in his name that the community should deal with the individual in question. The kind of change envisioned in the gospel is not simply "behavior modification." It goes to the heart/mind of the person. Jesus constantly refers to the interior state of the person as being just as important as their behavior. "Did not he who made the outside of the cup also make the inside?" Helping a community member to realize that certain forms of behavior are unacceptable is difficult. One does not want to "stifle the spirit" or "despise prophecies," but the good of the whole community is a broader value. The head of the community represents this collective value, but he or she does not have to be alone in doing this. Jesus offers a way that is challenging and it is up to us to take up the challenge for the good of the whole community. AMEN
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