Five Major Reflective Lessons from the Catholic Readings of Today: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

The Catholic Church today, Sunday, 6 September 2026, celebrates the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. The readings of the day bring together three powerful themes that every Christian, family, community and society should seriously reflect upon: responsibility, love, correction and reconciliation, and the power of Christian unity and prayer.

The First Reading is taken from Ezekiel 33:7–9, the Second Reading from Romans 13:8–10, while the Gospel is from Matthew 18:15–20. The readings challenge Christians not merely to hear the Word of God, but to allow it to influence the way they relate with one another.

The message is particularly relevant in a world where people increasingly find it easier to condemn than to correct, easier to expose than to reconcile, easier to gossip than to confront a problem privately, and easier to divide than to build unity.

The First Reading presents Ezekiel as a watchman who has a responsibility to warn the people when danger is approaching. The Second Reading reminds Christians that love is the fulfilment of God’s law. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples how to deal with a brother or sister who has done wrong, beginning with private correction and progressing carefully when necessary.

These readings therefore provide us with five major reflective lessons for Christian living today.

---

1. We Have a Responsibility to Warn Others When They Are Going the Wrong Way

The First Reading from Ezekiel 33:7–9 presents a very serious responsibility given to Ezekiel. God appoints him as a watchman over His people.

A watchman is someone who watches carefully. His responsibility is not simply to observe danger but to raise an alarm when danger becomes visible.

If the watchman sees danger and remains silent, he becomes partly responsible for the consequences because he had an opportunity to warn those who were at risk.

This is one of the strongest messages in today’s readings.

Christianity is not only about taking care of ourselves. We also have responsibilities towards other people.

Sometimes, we see a friend making a destructive decision. We see a family member moving in the wrong direction. We see a young person becoming involved in dangerous behaviour. We see someone destroying his or her marriage through repeated actions. We see a Christian gradually abandoning the faith.

What do we do?

Do we warn the person with love?

Or do we remain silent because we do not want to offend them?

There are times when silence is not necessarily peace. Silence can sometimes become negligence.

The lesson from Ezekiel is not that Christians should become busybodies who interfere in everybody’s affairs. Rather, it teaches us that when we genuinely have a responsibility to someone and recognise serious wrongdoing or danger, we should not simply look away.

But correction must be motivated by love

There is an important distinction here.

Warning somebody does not mean insulting the person.

Correction does not mean humiliating someone.

Speaking the truth does not give us permission to destroy another person’s dignity.

A Christian should be able to say:

“My brother, my sister, I believe what you are doing is wrong, and I am concerned about where it may lead you.”

That is very different from saying:

“You are useless. You will never amount to anything.”

The first seeks restoration.

The second seeks humiliation.

This distinction becomes even clearer in today’s Gospel, where Jesus gives a practical method for correcting someone who has done wrong.

A lesson for parents

Parents have a particular responsibility as spiritual watchmen over their children.

A parent who notices destructive behaviour but refuses to correct it because “I don’t want my child to hate me” may eventually discover that avoiding a difficult conversation can create a much bigger problem.

Children need love, but they also need boundaries.

They need encouragement, but they also need correction.

They need freedom, but they also need guidance.

A lesson for leaders

Church leaders, teachers, employers, community leaders and people entrusted with responsibility should also learn from Ezekiel.

Leadership is not only about receiving praise.

Sometimes leadership means having the courage to tell people what they do not want to hear.

A true leader should not encourage wrongdoing simply because confronting it may be unpopular.

The question we should ask ourselves today is this:

When I see someone heading towards destruction, do I have the courage to warn that person lovingly?

---

2. Christian Correction Should Restore a Person, Not Destroy Them

The Gospel of Matthew 18:15–20 gives one of the most practical teachings of Jesus about handling conflict and wrongdoing within the Christian community.

Jesus first instructs the person who has been offended to go directly to the person who committed the wrong and speak to him or her privately.

This is extremely important.

Jesus does not begin with public embarrassment.

He does not begin with gossip.

He does not begin with social media.

He does not begin with announcing the person’s wrongdoing to everybody.

He begins with a private conversation.

That principle is desperately needed in today’s society.

We have become too quick to publicise people’s mistakes

A person makes a mistake today, and within minutes somebody may record it.

A disagreement happens, and somebody publishes the story online.

A husband and wife quarrel, and their relatives are immediately informed.

Two friends have a disagreement, and instead of speaking privately, one begins to tell everybody what the other person has done.

A member of a church has a problem with another member, and suddenly the matter becomes a topic of discussion among other members.

But Jesus teaches us another way.

Go first to the person.

Talk.

Listen.

Explain.

Seek understanding.

Give the person an opportunity to respond.

Give reconciliation a chance.

The objective is not to prove that you are right.

The objective is to win back your brother or sister.

That is a completely different mindset.

Correction without love can become punishment

There is a dangerous temptation to use somebody’s mistake as an opportunity to feel superior.

Sometimes we correct people not because we want them to improve but because we enjoy proving that they are wrong.

That is not Christian correction.

Christian correction should carry the desire:

“I want you to become better.”

Not:

“I want everybody to know that you are a bad person.”

This is why Jesus begins with a private conversation.

Private correction protects dignity.

Private correction reduces unnecessary embarrassment.

Private correction creates an opportunity for honest dialogue.

Private correction can prevent a small disagreement from becoming a major conflict.

But what if the person refuses to listen?

Jesus provides a gradual process.

If private correction does not work, one or two others may be involved. If the person still refuses to listen, the matter may be brought before the wider community.

This shows that Christian reconciliation should be patient, orderly and responsible.

We should not immediately escalate every disagreement.

At the same time, Jesus does not teach that wrongdoing should always be ignored.

There is a balance between mercy and accountability.

The Christian community must be compassionate, but it must also take truth seriously.

---

3. Love Is Not Just a Feeling; It Is a Christian Responsibility

The Second Reading, Romans 13:8–10, gives us another powerful dimension of today’s message.

St Paul teaches that Christians should owe one another the continuing “debt” of love. He explains that love fulfils the law because genuine love does not deliberately harm one’s neighbour.

This challenges the way many people understand love.

Love is often reduced to emotions.

People say:

“I love you because you make me happy.”

But Christian love is much deeper.

Christian love means seeking the genuine good of another person.

Sometimes love means embracing somebody.

Sometimes love means forgiving somebody.

Sometimes love means helping somebody.

Sometimes love means sacrificing for somebody.

And sometimes love means correcting somebody.

That is why the Second Reading and Gospel fit together so beautifully.

Ezekiel teaches responsibility.

Paul teaches love.

Jesus teaches correction and reconciliation.

The message is that we correct people because we love them, and we must correct them in a way that is consistent with love.

Love should never become an excuse for wrongdoing

There is another important lesson here.

Some people misunderstand love by believing that loving somebody means approving everything the person does.

That is not necessarily true.

A parent can love a child without approving every decision the child makes.

A husband can love his wife while disagreeing with something she has done.

A wife can love her husband while confronting behaviour that is damaging their marriage.

A priest can love a parishioner while challenging behaviour that contradicts Christian teaching.

A friend can love a friend while saying:

“What you are doing is wrong.”

True love does not deliberately encourage another person towards destruction.

Love protects the dignity of others

Paul’s teaching also challenges us to examine how we speak about other people.

Do we insult people?

Do we deliberately embarrass them?

Do we spread rumours?

Do we rejoice when somebody fails?

Do we use somebody’s weakness against them?

Do we destroy people’s reputation because of a disagreement?

If we genuinely love our neighbour, we must be careful about the harm our words and actions can cause.

Love should make us safer people to live with.

People should not constantly fear humiliation from us.

Our presence should bring healing rather than unnecessary pain.

---

4. Not Every Conflict Should Be Taken to Social Media or to Everyone Around Us

One of the most practical lessons from today’s Gospel is the importance of confidentiality and direct communication.

Jesus tells the offended person to approach the person who has done wrong privately.

This principle has enormous relevance in today’s digital world.

We live in an age where almost everyone has a platform.

A smartphone can turn a private disagreement into a public controversy within minutes.

A voice note can be forwarded to hundreds of people.

A private WhatsApp message can become a public screenshot.

A family disagreement can become a Facebook argument.

A marital disagreement can become a TikTok or Instagram story.

A church disagreement can become a public accusation.

But Christians should ask themselves:

Is public exposure really necessary?

Sometimes it is.

There are situations involving abuse, serious criminal behaviour, exploitation, danger, safeguarding concerns or other matters where seeking appropriate help is necessary and keeping silent could put people at risk.

But ordinary interpersonal disagreements should not automatically become public spectacles.

Jesus’ teaching gives us a principle of proportion.

Start privately where appropriate.

Seek understanding.

Give the other person an opportunity to respond.

Bring in responsible witnesses or appropriate authorities when necessary.

Escalate only when necessary.

This approach can save families, friendships, marriages, churches and communities from unnecessary destruction.

---

5. When Christians Gather in Genuine Unity, Christ Is Present Among Them

The final part of today’s Gospel contains one of the most beautiful promises of Jesus: where two or three are gathered in His name, He is present among them.

This statement is often quoted when Christians gather for prayer, and rightly so.

But it should also be understood within the context of today’s Gospel.

Jesus has been speaking about relationships, reconciliation, correction, community and unity.

Therefore, Christian gathering is not simply about physically standing in the same place.

It is about coming together in His name.

That means coming with a heart that seeks God’s will.

It means coming with humility.

It means coming with forgiveness.

It means coming with a desire for peace.

It means putting Christ above personal pride.

Unity does not mean that everybody must agree on everything

Christian unity does not mean that there will never be disagreements.

Even the early Christian communities experienced disagreements.

Families disagree.

Friends disagree.

Church members disagree.

Parishioners disagree.

Priests and lay people may sometimes have different perspectives.

The problem is not necessarily disagreement.

The problem is how we handle disagreement.

Do we allow disagreement to become hatred?

Do we turn differences into permanent enemies?

Do we refuse to forgive?

Do we recruit other people into our personal battles?

Or do we seek a Christian solution?

Today’s Gospel calls us to choose the path of reconciliation.

---

The Five Lessons in Summary

The three readings of this Sunday can therefore be summarised in five powerful lessons:

1. We have a responsibility to warn others

Like the watchman in Ezekiel, Christians should not deliberately remain silent when they have a genuine responsibility to warn someone about a destructive path.

2. Correction should restore, not humiliate

Jesus teaches us to begin correction privately and respectfully whenever appropriate. The goal should be to win back the person, not to destroy their reputation.

3. Love is a responsibility

St Paul reminds us that love is not merely an emotion. Genuine love seeks the good of others and refuses to deliberately harm them.

4. Do not turn every disagreement into a public battle

Jesus’ method encourages direct communication, patience and responsible escalation. Not every conflict belongs on social media or in the ears of everyone around us.

5. Christian unity creates a place for God’s presence

When people genuinely gather in Christ’s name, they are called to seek reconciliation, truth, prayer and the common good rather than allowing personal pride to dominate.

---

A Powerful Message for Families

Today’s readings should speak particularly strongly to families.

Many homes are suffering because people no longer know how to correct one another with love.

A husband makes a mistake and the wife immediately calls her relatives.

A wife makes a mistake and the husband begins telling his friends.

A child makes a mistake and the parents insult the child.

Siblings fight and involve the entire extended family.

In-laws become involved in matters that could have been resolved privately.

Eventually, what started as a small disagreement becomes a permanent family division.

The Gospel provides another approach.

Talk to the person.

Listen to the person.

Correct with love.

Seek reconciliation.

Bring in wise and responsible people when necessary.

And above all, pray.

---

A Message for Married Couples

Marriages also need today’s message.

Marriage is not the absence of disagreement.

Two people from different backgrounds, families, experiences and personalities will naturally have moments of disagreement.

The important question is not:

“Will we ever disagree?”

The important question is:

“How will we handle our disagreements?”

A Christian couple should learn how to speak privately.

They should avoid humiliating one another before children, friends, relatives and neighbours.

They should avoid using past mistakes as weapons.

They should avoid turning every disagreement into a competition over who is right.

Sometimes the most important sentence in a marriage is:

“I am sorry.”

Another powerful sentence is:

“Please forgive me.”

And sometimes:

“Help me to understand why you feel this way.”

These are not signs of weakness.

They can be signs of maturity.

---

A Message for the Church

Today’s readings also challenge the Church.

The Church is a community of imperfect human beings trying to follow a perfect God.

Therefore, disagreements will sometimes occur.

But Christians must be careful not to allow disagreements to become divisions.

Parish groups can disagree.

Church organisations can disagree.

Choirs can disagree.

Catholic societies can disagree.

Priests and parishioners can sometimes disagree.

The answer is not automatically to attack one another.

The answer is to return to Christ.

When Christ is truly at the centre, people should be able to disagree without becoming enemies.

The Church must be a place where truth and charity meet.

There should be accountability without hatred.

Correction without humiliation.

Discipline without cruelty.

Forgiveness without pretending that wrongdoing does not matter.

---

The Danger of Being a Silent Watchman

The First Reading leaves us with a particularly uncomfortable question.

What if God has placed us in somebody’s life so that we can help prevent that person’s destruction?

Perhaps you are the parent who needs to speak to a child.

Perhaps you are the friend who needs to have an honest conversation with another friend.

Perhaps you are the spouse who needs to address a serious issue in the marriage.

Perhaps you are a church leader who needs to guide someone.

Perhaps you are a teacher who needs to correct a student.

Perhaps you are a community leader who needs to warn people about a danger.

The question is not whether the conversation will be comfortable.

The question is whether it is necessary.

But even when we must speak, today’s readings teach us how to speak.

Speak with love.

Speak with humility.

Speak with truth.

Speak privately where appropriate.

Speak because you care.

Do not speak simply because you want to prove yourself right.

---

We Must Also Be Willing to Receive Correction

There is another side to today’s message that we should not ignore.

It is easy to read Ezekiel and Matthew and think:

“I am the person who needs to correct others.”

But perhaps today’s readings are also asking:

Can you receive correction?

What happens when somebody tells you that you are wrong?

Do you immediately become angry?

Do you attack the person?

Do you begin looking for their own mistakes?

Do you say, “Who are you to correct me?”

Or do you pause and ask:

“Could there be some truth in what this person is telling me?”

The Responsorial Psalm for today gives us an important spiritual attitude: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

That is not only a message for other people.

It is a message for each one of us.

Sometimes God can use another person to correct us.

Sometimes the person correcting us may not even be perfect.

But that does not automatically mean everything they say is wrong.

A humble Christian should be willing to examine himself or herself.

---

Today’s Readings and the Nigerian Society

These readings also have a strong message for society.

Nigeria needs people who are willing to speak truthfully and responsibly.

We need leaders who can warn against wrongdoing.

We need citizens who will not celebrate corruption simply because they benefit from it.

We need parents who will teach children integrity.

We need religious leaders who will speak against injustice.

We need young people who will resist destructive peer pressure.

We need communities where people can correct one another without immediately becoming enemies.

But we must also remember that speaking the truth does not mean spreading unverified accusations.

A Christian should not become a “watchman” who spreads rumours.

There is a major difference between warning and gossiping.

There is a difference between correction and character assassination.

There is a difference between accountability and revenge.

There is a difference between exposing genuine wrongdoing and destroying somebody because of personal hatred.

Christian responsibility requires truth, wisdom and charity.

---

Before You Correct Someone, Examine Your Heart

One practical way to live today’s Gospel is to ask ourselves several questions before confronting another person:

Why am I correcting this person?

Is it because I genuinely want to help?

Or because I am angry?

What exactly am I trying to achieve?

Do I want reconciliation?

Or do I want to win an argument?

Have I spoken to the person privately?

Or have I already told ten other people?

Am I certain of the facts?

Or am I acting on rumours?

Am I speaking with love?

Or am I trying to humiliate the person?

These questions can prevent many unnecessary conflicts.

---

A Final Reflection: Love Must Have Courage

Perhaps the deepest message of today’s readings is that Christian love requires courage.

It takes courage to warn someone.

It takes courage to admit that you are wrong.

It takes courage to confront a difficult issue privately.

It takes courage to forgive.

It takes courage to apologise.

It takes courage to refuse gossip.

It takes courage to stop a family conflict from becoming a public battle.

It takes courage to love somebody who has disappointed you.

And it takes courage to choose reconciliation when revenge appears easier.

Today’s Gospel does not teach us to ignore wrongdoing.

It teaches us how to deal with wrongdoing in a way that seeks restoration.

The First Reading reminds us that we have responsibilities towards one another.

The Second Reading reminds us that love must guide those responsibilities.

The Gospel shows us the practical path of correction, reconciliation, community and prayer.

Together, the readings give us a beautiful Christian formula:

Speak the truth.

Speak with love.

Correct with humility.

Forgive generously.

Seek reconciliation.

Pray together.

And keep Christ at the centre.

---

Prayer for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus Christ,

Teach us to love our brothers and sisters sincerely.

Give us the courage to speak when we need to speak, but also give us the wisdom to know when and how to speak.

Save us from gossip, hatred, revenge and unnecessary public humiliation.

When we need to correct others, give us humility and charity.

When we need to receive correction, save us from pride and hardness of heart.

Help families to forgive one another.

Help married couples to communicate with love.

Help friends to reconcile.

Help the Church to remain united in truth and charity.

Help our communities to become places where people can correct one another without hatred and forgive one another without bitterness.

And when we gather in Your name, may we truly recognise Your presence among us.

May our words heal rather than destroy.

May our actions bring peace rather than division.

May our lives fulfil the commandment of love.

Amen.

---

The readings for this 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, are a powerful reminder that Christianity is not simply about attending Mass, receiving the Sacraments or listening to Scripture.

It is also about how we treat one another.

The Lord calls us to be responsible watchmen, loving neighbours, courageous correctors, humble recipients of correction and builders of unity.

The world does not need more people who are eager to expose the weaknesses of others.

It needs people who are willing to help others become better.

It does not need more people who turn every disagreement into a public war.

It needs people who know how to seek reconciliation.

It does not need Christians who merely talk about love.

It needs Christians who live love.

And perhaps the most important question for each of us today is:

Am I helping the people around me become better, or am I making their lives more difficult through my words, actions, pride and unwillingness to forgive?

May today’s readings help us to become better Christians, better family members, better friends, better neighbours and better members of society.

May we never forget that when correction is necessary, love must be the motive; when forgiveness is possible, mercy must be the response; and when Christians gather sincerely in Christ’s name, we should seek unity rather than division.

Akahi News learnt that the Word of God is not merely something to hear every Sunday; it is an invitation to examine our lives and change the way we treat one another.

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News