GOSPEL REFLECTION, WEDNESDAY, 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, 12 AUGUST 2026

Matthew 18:15-20.  Matthew’s gospel uses the word ‘church’ only twice.  The first (16:18) is when Jesus names Peter as having authority over the universal church.  The second is in today’s gospel (18:15), meaning the local church or Christian community.  The meanings are different and have substantial consequences.  The Greek word used for ‘church’ in both cases means, literally, ‘called out together, ‘those who are called together,’ by a disciple’s vocation’ – that is, who have a divine vocation to be together, not like a secular organization, but as a divinely founded community. 

Today’s gospel speaks of the pastoral role of the local church which has an immediate and personal responsibility.  The local church has a pastoral role in the sanctification of its members and in the reconciliation of its members who may have gone astray.  Our gospel identifies three levels of action the community may take.  The first concerns members who have seriously gone astray.  Someone who recognises a grave sin or heresy of that member (not a personal grievance or simple difference of opinion on a lesser matter) may approach that member privately to encourage him or her to take stock and to amend their ways.  If that does not have effect, then the member is to be approached privately with two or three other witnesses.  If THAT does not have effect, then the member is to be publicly identified to the gathered community, then excluded if amendment of life  does not occur.

However this text has been interpreted and applied by various Christian communities through the ages – and there has been many interpretations and applications – the thing is this: the church has a pastoral and ethical role in the sanctification of all its members, and its members must accept and respect that role.  As Roman Catholics we understand that to mean both the Universal Church AND the local church.  Further, we must pay particular attention to the last sentence of today’s gospel:  ‘where two are three are gathered together in my name, I [Jesus] am there among them.’  The pastoral and ethical role of the church is by divine vocation.