INBOX INSPIRATIONS
August 20, 2025
Responding to Offenses
Dear Friends,
Last Wednesday August 13, I gave a homily at the morning weekday Mass. Afterwards, several people asked if I would share the homily in one of my Inbox Inspirations. So, here it is today. The gospel for last Wednesday’s Mass was Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus teaching us what to do if someone sins against us. It might be good to review that passage from Matthew before reading this. What follows now is my homily.
“Today Jesus talks about what to do when, as he says, someone has sinned against us.
I think we can take Jesus’ guidance as applying to situations when someone has wronged us personally, or when someone is doing something that we believe is wrong or sinful even if it does not affect us directly.
I got thinking about this passage in the context of the entire life and teachings of Jesus.
In that context, I am seeing five brief, quick rules from Jesus about what to do or how to respond in these situations.
1. Take the initiative. Try to bring about reconciliation between the other person and yourself, or between the other person and God.
2. Treat the other person with respect. Work at the issue in a private, personal, one-on-one way. Only if that fails, consult someone else who may be able to bring some additional wisdom to the situation – maybe a family member or friend or priest or counselor.
3. Don’t shame or embarrass the other person. That will do no good for anyone.
4. Don’t give up on the other person. Stick with what you believe is right and good, but don’t give up on another. That, I believe, is the correct interpretation of Jesus’ words about treating the other as you would a gentile or tax collector if they won’t listen to you or even to the Church.
5. Do all of this prayerfully. Let it emerge from praying about it and from seeking God’s guidance. I have to imagine that this is why Jesus’ direction here is connected with some teaching about prayer.
So, some brief, quick, practical, spiritual, gospel-based rules for doing what Jesus is teaching today.”
Fr. Michael Schleupner
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