XXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Ez 33:7-9 ; Rom 13:8-10 ; Mt 18:15-20

Stay out of this, it's none of your business  ...

And by all means: "Do not be judgmental!!!!"

How often do we hear these words, as a response to our admonition, or even when we only try to help someone? Give advice, to reprimand someone, respond to the obvious evil or injustice ... puts us immediately and directly in opposition, exposes to the massive criticism or immediate denial. We are rapidly labelled: annoying, rude, impolite, irritating, JUDGMENTAL ...  After all you have to be nice, cool and not interfere with the lives of others. Be more diplomatic and, do not cling to everything, why do you care what someone is doing? You have to be able to live peacefully with others and not "hunt" for trouble.

A polite and well-mannered person, educated and nice man don't pay attention to anyone's business and does not interfere with other people's lives. And if you dare to do this, then know to whom, when and what are you telling. Even parents should not reprimand and admonish their children, or criticise them, so to not stress them and not cause any kind of neurosis ... And at the school … teachers and educators have no rights and no capacity to discipline or even educate children because in a case of any attempt of admonishing pupils, parents intervene ... and the situation for the teacher becomes deplorable.

In general, today's Gospel is outdated and most probably should not even be read in the church. We live in a different world and different conditions, in other cultural realities. Reprimanding, rebuking, admonishing, disciplining, or disagreeing with evil and errors …. is rude, judgmental and demonstrates a serious lack of education and personal tact or diplomacy!!! A neighbour behaves badly and makes noise the whole night ... no, nobody will say anything, so as not to be accused of lack of good manners. A doctor in the hospital behaves arrogantly and treats patients rudely... no, nobody will react, so as not to be exposed and accused of impoliteness.

And yet in today's Gospel Jesus tells us:  "If your brother sins against you go and reprove him ..."  But we know better what to do, because we are after all exceedingly polite and politically correct. And instead of reprimanding or admonishing we will rather be silent and we will be talking or complaining behind or gossiping with a pharisaic sorrow.

Sometimes, I make mistakes, and I'm wrong, BUT I could not be criticized or called to order ... and I don’t  want anyone admonish me, because why at all anybody has to meddle into my affairs??? Let he keep his nose out of my business. Nobody is saint and no one will tell me how and what to do. I am an adult and I know what am I doing ...

The old Latin proverb says: "qui tacet consentire videtur" – means "who can say something and is silent consents." If I can rebuke or disagree with evil around me and I do nothing, I approve it.

Why am I surprised that so much evil is around me? Did I do something, did I disagree ... or just did I keep silent to ne be judgmental?

Why am I surprised that so much evil is in me? After all, I do not want anyone to help me in the fight against it ...