by Joe Cady
In both the first reading and the Gospel reading today, we hear about confronting our brothers and sisters in the faith, and the importance of calling them to conversion and repentance when they have fallen into sin. In hearing this, we could be tempted to think that the moral of the story is go find some sinners and tell them all the things they’re doing wrong. But that, I think, fails to capture the bigger picture of what God calls us to in dealing with the sins of others. We know that one of the spiritual works of mercy is to admonish the sinner. But what exactly does that mean and how do we do it? The dictionary definition of admonish is: (1) to speak to (someone) in a way that expresses disapproval or criticism; (2) to tell or urge (someone) to do something. It’s interesting how these two aspect of the definition contrast with each other: one is simply a denunciation or critique of someone’s behavior, the other is a call to action or change. The word “admonish” comes from the Latin word amonestem, which means to “bring to mind, remind, suggest” or to “warn, advise, urge”. So, there is a sense in which admonishing the sinner involves helping others remember something, reminding them of something they ought to know or do.
To admonish the sinner implies a call to repentance and reconciliation. Through sin, one who was formally in communion with you and/or the Church, has fallen out of right relationship… to admonish them is to help them understand their fall and invite them to return. This is precisely what Jesus came to do. In Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians he says, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ.” Jesus came so that our communion with him (which had been lost through sin) might be restored. Through Jesus Christ, God was bringing back together what had been torn apart by sin. St. Paul goes on to say that God has entrusted to the Church “the message of reconciliation. So, we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (see 2 Cor 5:17-20). This is both the mission and message of the Church, be reconciled to God! It is an invitation to life, an invitation to relationship. We are to go forth in the world with the Good News that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even sin, and that Christ has come to heal and restore what sin has damaged and lost. Now, this will include confronting the sin that prevents us from experience communion with God and his Church, but we must never forget that calling others to conversion and repentance is not ultimately about simply pointing out their faults, it’s about calling people to the fullness of life that Christ came to give us.
But how do we do this? How should we proceed when seeking to call others to repentance? Well, the first thing we have to remember is that in both readings, we are dealing with how we respond to a brother or sister in faith. Meaning, these readings are first and foremost about how to confront a fellow believer who has fallen into sin. This isn’t about finding any random stranger and telling them all the ways in which they are a sinner. Our job in the world isn’t to go around pointing the finger at everyone who isn’t following the way of the Gospel, it is about growing as a community of faith to be salt and light in the world. Our primary focus should be on our own growth in holiness and the spiritual health of our faith community. This is why fraternal correction (lovingly helping a brother or sister in faith return to communion when they’ve fallen away) is so important. When any one of us strays from the path of life, not only is our own spiritual health in jeopardy, but the credibility and mission of the Church is diminished as well. Therefore, these instructions are primarily about how we are to deal with someone within our community of faith, and always has communion as its aim.
With that being said, how do we admonish the sinner?
(1) Know the sinner.
Conversion always begins with genuine relationship. By meeting people where they are and seeking to understand their story and their situation, we will be better disposed to speak effectively into their lives. We must always earn the right to be heard, and we do this by genuinely caring for others and really getting to know them, rather than seeing them as just a sinner that we need to fix. The other thing to consider is that we won’t always approach every situation the same. Specifically, our approach will be different when dealing with a brother in faith vs. when we are dealing with a non-believer. We see this difference of approach in Jesus’ own ministry. In the account of his being presented with the woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:1-11), Jesus is very gentle. He leads with mercy and extends an invitation to conversion and a new way of life. However, when confronting the religious leaders of the time (Mt 23:1-36), Jesus is very stern and critical. Why? Because they, of all people, should know better. They have the Law and claim to follow the Law but were living contrary to it, therefore, Jesus is calling them not just to be faithful to what he says they should do, but to follow what they, themselves, claim to believe.
(2) Don’t miss the beam in our eye, while we point out the splinter in others.
Our approach to admonishing the sinner and seeking to correct others must always be marked with great humility. Jesus’ warning against judging others (Mt 7:1-5) doesn’t mean that we should never judge, but it is a strong warning to be careful in how we do it, “For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” (Mt 7:2). We should always seek to be as understanding and compassionate toward others as we would like them to be toward us; and we must always guard against “correcting” others from a place of arrogance or superiority. If we are not constantly working on our own conversion, we are in no place to try and “convert” others. In any situation, we have to be careful not to become people with everything to teach but nothing to learn. This means that as we live out the call to admonish the sinner, we must always be ready and open to being corrected and admonished by others as well.
(3) Don’t just point out the wrongness of the fault, but the beauty of the truth.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news! WE can never forget that. And this means that we must always present it to others as such. Our job isn’t just to go around saying, “this is bad and that is bad…” – our job is to bear witness to the truth and invite people to the path of life. In admonishing the sinner, we shouldn’t just focus on the “rules that are broken” but the communion that has been ruptured and God’s desire to restore us to relationship. This approach is at the heart of Vatican II. In his opening statements at the Council, Pope John XXIII said, “Nowadays… the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity. She considers that she meets the needs of the present day by demonstrating the validity of her teaching rather than by condemnations.” The more we live and speak the truth, the more clearly people will see the error and falsehood of living contrary to the Gospel. As we confront our brothers and sisters in faith who may have strayed from the path, let us not just point out their sin but remind them of the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ and his Church.
One final detail in today’s Gospel reading is important to consider. Remember, this whole teaching is framed around what to do when “a brother” sins (someone from within the community). Jesus provides us with the steps to take: first, a direct, one-on-one approach, followed by a conversation involving others from the community, and then bringing the matter to “the Church”. If none of these work, we are to “treat him as you would a Gentile or tax collector”. Now, this could easily be read as saying, “Well, I tried and you didn’t listen, so, forget you, you’re on your own.” But this would be to forget the universal nature of God’s plan of salvation. The Gospel is for all people: God desires “all men to be saved” and sends his apostles to “all the Gentiles” in order to proclaim the Gospel and draw people to conversion and repentance. When Jesus says, “treat them as you would a tax collector or Gentile” I think he is saying, “If one from your community refuses to remain faithful to the Gospel even after being corrected, then they have placed themselves outside of the community.” But when this happens, the answer to this is not to reject and ignore them, but to approach them differently – they are no longer an “insider” being called to fidelity, but an “outsider” whose heart needs to be converted. If we can’t bring them back through “correction” then we must seek to win them over through evangelization, through proclaiming the Gospel and extending the invitation to “be reconciled to God.”
As we seek to be a kingdom people who live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world, let us seek to have all of our words and deeds be marked by the love, humility, and gentleness of the Master. Let us embody in the world the good news of the Gospel, at the heart of which is this truth: “There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest. Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin” (CCC 982).