Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his  reflection on the  Gospel of this Sunday, September 6, 2026 ,  entitled:  “Lord, may we not be deaf to your voice . ” 

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Ezekiel 33:7-9:  “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel”

Psalm 94:  “Lord, may we not be deaf to your voice”

Romans 13:8-10:  “To fulfill the law perfectly is to love”

Matthew 18:15-20:  “If your brother listens to you, you have won him over.”

Indifference, irresponsibility, and apathy toward social problems destroy communities. Faced with a society like ours that shows such serious signs of decline, the words addressed to Ezekiel,  “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel,” ring out with renewed urgency . These words, together with Jesus’ teachings on fraternal correction, offer us valuable insights for the present moment. It doesn’t seem that Ezekiel is entrusted with the role of a policeman as we understand it: a guardian who maintains order and must correct and arrest those who disturb it. It seems to me that it has a much deeper meaning, like that of a brother concerned for his brother, and perhaps the image of a lighthouse, combined with that of a watchman, will help us understand this. The Lord does not appoint a guardian who follows behind his brothers, judging their actions and making their lives impossible. We often adopt these roles ourselves, capable of judging even what doesn’t happen and condemning others without knowing their true intentions.

The sentinel, like a lighthouse, has the obligation to shout, to warn, to sound his siren, and he cannot rest until he awakens the conscience of others. A ship that crashes against the cliffs is the lighthouse’s greatest failure. The brother who destroys himself or the community is not only his own fault, but also our responsibility. Our mission is very clear: we cannot act for others, we cannot do our brother’s work, but we must awaken his conscience, accompany him, and support him. I cannot do his work for others, but I can awaken his sense of responsibility. When the darkness is at its deepest and the storm rages fiercest, the lighthouse’s beams shine most clearly and are most valuable. The lighthouse cannot dispel the darkness or the storm, but it can reveal the dangers and show a safe path. There are those who, when the storm arrives, complain, rant, and insult. They blame others. The lighthouse simply illuminates, calls, and guides. It opens paths for those who felt lost, it renews the hope of those who no longer wanted to fight.

The sentinel doesn’t only point out negative things; he’s not a judge lying in wait to condemn. The sentinel finds joy and happiness in discovering and highlighting good things and making their presence felt. He must help uncover the small seeds of truth, the signs of justice, and the noble struggles for peace. He must awaken hope and encourage sincere efforts for the well-being of the community. It’s true that coexistence within the family, the community, or society, whatever its nature, is constantly deteriorating due to numerous factors that break down and condition relationships between colleagues, family members, and friends. But the sentinel isn’t there to condemn, but rather to prevent, to correct, and to offer new paths and new options.

No one can say that this mission was not entrusted to him. It is true that within the Church and society there are people who have the obligation to fulfill this task, but each and every one of us has the responsibility to be a sentinel who helps to point out, guide, and direct others. We cannot adopt the attitude of Cain when he is asked about Abel:  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  We all have the obligation to love our neighbor. We must all be critical enough to uncover lies when they are disguised as honesty, to expose injustices, and to uncover evil. Ah, but be very careful! Because we can distort this mission and become excessive critics of others, while being complacent about our own shortcomings. The mission is not to condemn but to encourage even those who, with weariness and effort, stumble along in search of truth and goodness.

Within the community, no one can live in isolation, disregarding others. We are all responsible for the community’s journey. Christ expresses this beautifully when he says that when two people agree to ask for something, they will surely achieve it. When the shell of individualism is broken and efforts are joined to seek the common good, goals never before dreamed of are attained. On the other hand, when everyone pursues their own interests, trust is undermined, and fraternity is destroyed. The best example of fraternal correction is Jesus himself. All the recommendations he gives us now, he has lived fully. He never condones sin, but he loves the sinner, approaches them, shows them his concern, reveals their error, and invites them to conversion. Let us consider how he acted with the Samaritan woman: he did not condemn her, he listened to her, offered her his water, his light, and helped her discover the spring within her. Let us remember Zacchaeus; he did not condemn him either, he simply treated him with dignity and offered him the possibility of a better life. Christ is like a lighthouse, a beacon; he harms no one, but he openly reveals reality. He does not condone injustice; he denounces it, but he does not condemn it; instead, he offers paths of light.

What is our responsibility to the community? Do we care for and help others, or do we only criticize and tear them down? How do we resolve conflicts within families, groups, and society? Do we educate for reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace?

Good Father, who has made us live in relationship and in community, grant us the humility to recognize our faults, fraternal love in the face of the mistakes of others, and a spirit of communion where we find reconciliation, forgiveness, and harmony. Amen