Weekly Mass Discussion Thread #2

You thought it wasn't going to happen, did you? Well, good news heathens: you're always welcome to participate in these threads alongside the !catholics.

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First Reading

Thus says the LORD:

You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;

when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.

If I tell the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die, "

and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way,

the wicked shall die for his guilt,

but I will hold you responsible for his death.

But if you warn the wicked,

trying to turn him from his way,

and he refuses to turn from his way,

he shall die for his guilt,

but you shall save yourself.

-Ezekiel 33:7-9

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery;

you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, "

and whatever other commandment there may be,

are summed up in this saying, namely,

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Love does no evil to the neighbor;

hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

-Romans 13:8-10

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Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

"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 does 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.'

If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.

If he refuses to listen even to the church,

then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

Amen, I say to you,

whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again, amen, I say to you,

if two of you agree on earth

about anything for which they are to pray,

it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them."

-Matthew 18:15-20

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Today's readings focus around the greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The first reading's message is clear: God's love is to be shared. Those who receive it, but keep it to themselves, are as bad as those who deny it. Matthew's reading reassures us that God understands those who try in earnest to share the Gospel, but find that it falls upon deaf ears. And Paul's epistle reminds us to be awesome towards each other