Mt 18:15-20 Go And Tell Him
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses…For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Yesterday, the Washington Post published private letters that were written by Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin O’Brien and Catholic Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley. The governor, at the persistent request of the media, released these private letters. The letters were written over the issue of same-sex marriage. Maryland earlier this year failed to redefine marriage, but now Governor O’Malley, galvanized by the ever so popular Catholic Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, has vowed to try it again.
Why did the governor wish to publish these letters? We should all know the reason. Politics and religion are not supposed to mix, right? But they do because politics affect life and death and religion is all about life and death.
The Washington Post article only highlighted (published) certain sections of their letters. Of course they are in favor of same-sex marriage. And of course the idea is to ridicule or cast aside the Catholic Church’s position as bizarre, hypocritical and flawed.
I don’t know about you, but I keep on asking myself, “How many more social groups will need special protection or recognition?” “What’s next?” “Who’s next?” “Is this something that will continue forever?” Think about it…can you think of any other group of individuals that will be seeking “their human rights?” Will the next group of people be those who wish to marry a consenting minor? Will the next group of people be those who wish to marry a loving pet? You may think it strange…but believe me…nothing is bizarre. Actually, nothing will be as bizarre as traditional values!
Why were these letters ever even written? Because the Church is not in the business of show and tell. The Church is in the serious business of love and forgiveness, of salvation. It is not interested in doing what is politically correct. It is interested in the common good. It is interested in the human race.
The great flaw with all political systems is that it is structured around the living and not the dead. The dead no longer can revolt or vote; only the living cast stones and vote.
The Church may lose this battle, but history books have recorded many lost battles and the war won! Tyrants win battles and lose wars and empires.
The deciding factor is time. Traditions have withstood the test of time. This is where the dead speak the loudest! This is how they correct their erring brothers.
