Our Blessed Lord in our readings today points out our binding responsibility to our brothers and sisters, by first telling us of our need to give fraternal correction. Far from telling others what they are doing wrong, fraternal correction is that need for mature believers to give sound witness, guidance and direction to one other and to others, especially to the most weak and vulnerable. The underlying reason for this is God’s Holy Will, binding all believers, that the protection of the sheep, whether they be believers or not, should be a collaborative effort by all. In other words, every one of us has a responsibility to help and support each and every human person and to protect each and every human person. This is a matter of grave charity binding especially on all believers. For those who are not of the fold or for those who have scatter from the fold, for all of those who are discouraged or confused, they should have the good example of all us, of our holiness of life, drawing them to or keeping them in the true fold.

As mature believers, we must realize that our Catholic faith, lived in fidelity, can help support others. And, on the other hand, our lack of faith by our infidelity can be a factor in the falling away of others or whether or not others are found. And so we need to develop and maintain a mature faith, which is enlightened by study, enthusiastic with joy, sound and persevering with trust, so that our every expression or act of belief might reflect the interior commitment we treasure. We need to live what we believe so that we never ever become a reason for someone to fall away or stay away from God and His Holy Church.

I remember hearing a story about a man who wanted to see if Catholics really believed that the Holy Eucharist was truly Jesus, God in the Flesh. He decided he would put the priest of the parish to the test, to see if the priest really believed or if he merely genuflected toward the tabernacle when he could be seen. He waited one day in the choir loft for the priest to come in to get Holy Communion to take to the sick. He thought to Himself. I’ll see if the priest genuflects when nobody is around. When the priest walked in and, without knowing anybody was watching, made the most reverent and sincere genuflection, the man became a believer in the Holy Eucharist by the witness of the priest. The Gospel is best preached by actions than by words.

We are bound to one another by love, St. Paul reminded the early Roman Church in today’s second reading. Love of neighbor is primarily a commitment to justice, which is giving to the “other” what is due to him or her, this is the fulfillment of the law. This of course begins with God. What we owe to Him in justice is to love Him by worshiping and adoring Him. This is principally done at Holy Mass, but not only by just attending Holy Mass, but by in love offering ourselves, our whole hearts, minds, bodies and souls to God at Holy Mass. This self-offering is then lived out by loving our neighbor for love of God, being concerned for our neighbors well-fare, not by just doing do evil to him, but by defending him or her in justice, or in other words, by loving our neighbor as ourselves and showing them the Love of God.

Our love of God and our love of neighbor for love of God is especially shown by our living all of the truths of our Beautiful Catholic Faith, especially the truth of the Holy Mass which makes truly present, through the Holy Spirit working through the Sacred Priesthood, the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary and His Body, Blood, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist so we might be enter into a Holy communion of love with God and our neighbor, so that all may be one. This brings up another aspect of today’s message.

We are to worship God not only as individuals but also together as community. Our act of adoration of the Father through Jesus while being our most intimate and personal act is at the same time also our most communal act. It is the most important act we do as a community together because we worship our God as a community, better yet as a family. Our individual worship of God is bound to our worship of Him by our coming together at Holy. Holy Mass is truly where two or more can gather in the name of Jesus, that is in the presence of Jesus. It is here where we can agree on, that is have faith in, the truth that comes from God, that is the truth that Jesus came to give us through His Catholic Church, the truth that brings true unity and love, the truth that has the power to renew the world, the truth that saves and sets souls free.

Let us agree in faith, so that what we ask will be granted to us by our Heavenly Father; but let us first at this Holy Mass harden not our hearts, but open our hearts to God, by offering our hearts totally to Him. Then we can receive fully the heart of Christ who gives us His own Sacred Heart in Holy Communion so that we would be enable, empowered to love one another with our heart united to His, with our love elevated and united to His, fulfilling the law of Charity, the law of Love. Let us ask the Virgin, whose Immaculate Heart is one with His, to help us. Let us, in love, give our hearts to her so that she can give them as an acceptable offering to her Son. Amen.