Fr. Jorge Miró shares with the readers of Exaudi his commentary on today’s Gospel, September 10, 2023, entitled “If he listens to you, you have saved your brother“.

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The Word of God that we proclaim today presents us with a serious, delicate, and ever-present problem: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. The brothers, driven by the new commandment of love, have the duty to help one another on our pilgrimage towards the goal of heaven. And this help must not only be material, but also spiritual.

This is one of the works of mercy: to correct the erring. It is an important dimension of charity.

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

And all this, with the aim of seeking the good of our brother, not his destruction. It is not a matter of judging or condemning, but of helping, always moved by love and mercy, and with humility and gentleness.

Always with the criteria of St. Augustine: Love and do what you will: if you keep silent, keep 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 there be within you the root of charity; from this root nothing but good can spring forth (cf. In 1 Joh 7, 8).

Always in a spirit of conversion, as we sang in the Psalm: May you listen to the voice of the Lord today: do not harden your hearts.

The heart is hardened by pride and arrogance that leads us to reject the word of God, but also by arrogance and judgement towards our brothers and sisters.

The Gospel also speaks to us of the power of community prayer: to be united in the name of Jesus means to be in communion with his Person, his teaching and 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 converted and saved sinners.

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

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

Come, Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 11:13).