Fr. Jorge Miró shares with Exaudi readers his commentary on the  Gospel of Sunday, September 6, 2026  entitled, “If he listens to you, you have saved your brother.”

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The  Word of God  we proclaim today presents us with a serious, delicate, and ever-present problem:  fraternal correction— within the Christian community—  for the sake of eternal salvation . We, as brothers and sisters, moved by the new commandment of love, have the  duty to help one another on our pilgrimage toward heaven. And this help must be not only material but also spiritual.

This is one of the  works of mercy : correcting those who err. It is an important dimension of charity.

But  we must always speak  with love,  seeking  to overcome evil with the power of good  (cf.  Rom  12, 21).

Saint Paul reminded us of this in the second reading:  Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves has fulfilled the rest of the law . Love is not mere sentimentality; rather, love  is demonstrated by seeking the good of the other.

Therefore, fraternal correction  seeks the good of the brother , not his destruction. It is not about judging or condemning, but about helping, always motivated by love and mercy, and with humility and gentleness.

Always  following the example of St. Augustine:  Love  and do what you will : if you are silent, be silent out of love; if you shout, shout out of love;  if you correct, correct out of love ; if you forgive, forgive out of love.  Let the root of charity exist within you; from this root nothing but good can spring  (cf.  In 1 Joh  7, 8) .

Truth and charity must go together.  Love  without truth  ends up being reduced to mere sentimentality that leads nowhere, but  truth without love  can be a destructive weapon for the other person and therefore become something perverse in the end.

Always  with a spirit of conversion , as we have sung in the Psalm:  If only you would listen to the voice of the Lord today: do not harden your hearts.

The heart hardens because of  pride  and  arrogance  that leads us to reject the word of God, but also  because of  conceit  and  judgment  towards our brother.

The Gospel also speaks to us of  the power of community prayer : being  united in the name of Jesus  means being in communion with his Person, his doctrine and with his Body, which is the Church.

Three  signs  that show that the community is gathered by the Lord and lives in his name :

It is a community of sinners . Of sinners converted and saved.

A community in which brothers walk together  and help each other in spiritual combat.

A community that lives in blessing and sincere praise , because it lives each day with the certainty that there is nothing and no one that can separate us from the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus, who gives us the  gift  of his Spirit, which makes everything new.

Come Holy Spirit!  (cf.  Lk  11:13).