Love Christ but hate His Church?

23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[ Matthew 18: 15-20 ]

   Hating the Church = hating Christ.

‘Love Christ, hate Church’ is a growing phenomenon and it is gaining momentum worldwide.

Upon deeper reflections, we will find that such rhetoric may seem to attack the established Christian religion and institutional churches, especially the Catholic Church; but at the core of such rhetoric is always the sense of personal pride and individualism, abhorrence towards authority and rules, and ultimately the rejection of Jesus Christ Himself.

In the Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus stresses on the unity of the Church, the authority of the Church, and His Presence in the Church.

I give you the key of the Kingdom! [Mt 16: 19]

   (1) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is not perfect.

The Church is made up of saints and sinners. We are on a pilgrimage towards perfection in Jesus Christ. Pope St John Paul II puts it beautifully that, “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus.” There will be disagreements within the Church. But our Lord Jesus exhorts us to strive to preserve the oneness of the Church by trying every means possible to resolve our disagreements through the hierarchical Church.

   (2) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is given the authority.

Just two Sundays ago, we heard of Jesus giving the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and his successors (popes) after him: whatever they bind on earth is bound in heaven; whatever they loose on earth is loosed in heaven [Mt 16: 19]. The authority to the Pope and the Church in communion with him comes directly from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The authority given is not for the Church to lord over us or to enslave us; but rather, the authority is to empower the Church to teach, to preach, to govern, to build up and to sanctify the one People of God.

   (3) The Church founded by Jesus Christ is the Presence of Jesus Himself.

Jesus is present in the Church: where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them! [Mt 18: 20] Whenever we make the Sign of the Cross, we are spiritually connected by the grace of our Baptism with the universal Church even when we are praying alone physically. Every time when we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we pray without ceasing in unison with the entire Church. Every time, as we gather in the name of Christ as Church, to pray at our BECs, or to care for the sick in hospitals, or to support at wakes and funerals, Jesus Christ is there with us. At every Mass, when we celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as one Body of Christ, as commanded by our Lord, Jesus is really and truly present among us!

   Loving the Church = loving Christ.

Christ is the Head of the Church; and the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. [cf. Ep 1: 22-23]

To love Christ is to love the Church; and to love the Church is to love Christ. If we cannot love Body of Christ who is visible, how can we love the Christ the Head who is not visible?

Jesus has told us [Lk 10: 16], “He who hears you (the apostolic Church) hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects him who sent me.” And in today’ Gospel reading, Jesus goes on to say [Mt 18: 17], “if the offender refuses to listen even to the Church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

   Listening to the Church = listening to Christ.

   Loving the Church = loving Christ.

If we really know and love Jesus, we will never hate or leave His Church! If we love Christ, we will love His Body, the Church!

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “Lord Jesus Christ, may we, Your Church, always be one!”

Let us also pray that God’s justice, peace, truth and love may prevail in Malaysia, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

   [Note: This Gospel reflection was adapted from Porta Fidei, Gospel Reflection, 6 Sep 2020.]