Stay Faithful to God and Seek Peace with Others

Readings: Ezekiel 9:1–7; 10:18–22 | Psalm 112(113):1–6 | Matthew 18:15–20

Today's readings teach us about faithfulness to God, trusting in His care, and making peace with others. They remind us that following God is not only about what we believe, but also about how we live and how we treat the people around us.

Do Not Allow Anything to Replace God

Ezekiel 9:1–7; 10:18–22

In the Book of Ezekiel, we see how seriously God takes idolatry and sin. The people had turned away from God and allowed other things to take His place.

Idolatry is not only about worshipping statues or false gods. Even today, things such as money, success, possessions, pleasure, or even ourselves can become idols when they become more important to us than God.

God sees those who sincerely try to remain faithful to Him.

However, following God does not mean that we will never experience suffering or difficulties. Jesus Himself suffered, and many saints suffered while remaining faithful to God.

Our true security is not a life without problems. Our security is knowing that God is with us and that eternal life is found in Him.

We should therefore ask ourselves:

Is there anything in my life that has become more important to me than God?

Praise and Depend on God

Psalm 112(113):1–6

The Psalm reminds us to praise the Lord at all times.

God is greater than everything in heaven and on earth, yet He still looks upon us and cares about our lives.

Sometimes we may feel that our problems are too small for God or that He is far away from us. But God knows what we are going through.

We can bring our worries, needs, struggles, and decisions to Him in prayer.

We may not always receive the answer we expect, but we can continue trusting Him and asking for the grace to live each day according to His will.

Correct Others with Love, Not Humiliation

Matthew 18:15–20

Jesus gives us very practical advice about dealing with problems between people.

When someone sins against us or does something wrong, our first reaction should not be to gossip about them, embarrass them, expose them publicly, or tell everyone what they have done.

Jesus tells us first to speak to that person privately.

This is important because the purpose of correcting someone should not be to prove that we are right or make the other person look bad. The purpose should be reconciliation and helping one another return to what is right.

If the person refuses to listen, Jesus gives further steps involving others and eventually the Church.

This teaches us that problems should be handled with patience, wisdom, love, and respect.

Before speaking about someone's mistake to others, we can ask ourselves:

Have I first spoken lovingly and privately to the person involved?

Christ Is Present Among Us

Jesus ends this teaching with a beautiful promise:

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

Whenever Christians gather sincerely in the name of Jesus, Christ is with them.

This should also change the way we deal with disagreements. If Christ is truly at the centre of our relationships, then our goal should not be revenge, pride, or winning an argument.

Our goal should be truth, forgiveness, reconciliation, and love.

Reflection

Today's readings invite us to examine both our relationship with God and our relationships with others.

Am I putting God first in my life?

Do I trust Him when life becomes difficult?

When someone hurts me, do I immediately complain about that person to others, or do I try to speak to them privately and peacefully?

God calls us to remain faithful to Him and to treat others with the same mercy and love that we ourselves hope to receive.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
help me to put You first in my life.
Protect my heart from anything that leads me away from You.
Give me the grace to trust You during difficult times.
When I have problems with others, give me the humility to speak with love instead of anger or gossip.
Help me to forgive, seek peace, and bring others closer to You.
Amen.