6 September 2026 · Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
You Are Your Brother’s Watchman
Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20
The readings for this Sunday place before us a demanding but beautiful responsibility: we are responsible for one another. Faith is not a private affair. To belong to Christ is to care about the salvation, dignity and wellbeing of our brothers and sisters.
In the first reading, God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman for the house of Israel. The watchman must warn those who are in danger. He cannot remain silent simply because speaking the truth may be uncomfortable. If he sees danger and fails to warn, he becomes accountable. Likewise, Christians are called to be attentive to one another. Genuine love sometimes requires us to say what another person may not want to hear.
Yet our correction must always be guided by the second reading: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” Love is the fulfilment of the law. Christian correction is therefore not condemnation, humiliation or gossip. It is an act of love aimed at restoration. We correct because we care, not because we want to prove that we are right.
This is precisely the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel. He gives a practical process for dealing with wrongdoing: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” The first step is private conversation. Jesus does not say: broadcast the fault, discuss it with friends, post it on social media, or destroy the person’s reputation. He says: go to him.
Many conflicts become serious because people talk about one another instead of talking to one another. We sometimes prefer gossip to dialogue, public criticism to private correction, and social media attacks to Christian reconciliation. The Gospel calls us to a better way.
The Christian cannot simply say, “It is none of my business.” Ezekiel reminds us that we are watchmen. Paul reminds us that we owe one another love. Jesus teaches us how to practise that love when relationships are wounded. This week, let us ask ourselves: is there someone I need to approach, not to accuse, but to reconcile?