Pat will receive a copy of The Catholic Youth Prayer Book, Second Edition, a $15.95 value.

by Joanna Dailey

"All beginnings are hard," wrote Chaim Potok at the very beginning of his novel, In the Beginning. Recently I learned that this is a well-known maxim from the Talmud, a book of Jewish teachings and scriptural commentary.

This maxim seems particularly appropriate at the beginning of the school year, when teachers, catechists, and students face a new reality: a new schedule, new rooms, new teachers, new students, new colleagues, maybe even a new administrator. One veteran second-grade teacher once told me, "I never sleep the night before school starts. I lie awake, wondering what it will be like."

Just because beginnings are hard does not mean that they are not also exciting and full of hope. The pages in the book of days (see Psalm 139:16, GNT) are still blank, waiting for each day’s challenges and blessings to show themselves. It is no wonder, then, that the word new is a significant word in Scripture, in both the Old and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, we are urged to rejoice at the new moon (Psalm 81:3), to sing a new song (Psalm 33:3), and to be ready to cooperate with God’s providential designs for us:

"Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago.

Watch for the new thing I am going to do.

It is happening already—you can see it now!

I will make a road through the wilderness

and give you streams of water there."

(Isaiah 43:18-19, GNT)

In the New Testament, Jesus seems to be aware of everyday objects (like seeds and weeds, wheat and wineskins) as symbols of the Kingdom of God. [See Make It Happen in this newsletter for a meditative way to become aware of God’s presence in our lives through everyday objects.] Jesus compares his message of the Kingdom to new wine that needs new wineskins: "Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins" (Mark 2:22, GNT).

What is it about new wine that bursts old leather wineskins? I am not a vintner, but my guess is that it is because new wine is still fermenting. It is still becoming what it will be. It is not finished. It needs room to bubble and grow. New wine cannot be confined to old containers. Putting new wine in old, stiff, leather wineskins is simply asking for trouble.

This year, we are new wine. Our students are new wine. We are not finished. We are still becoming what we will be. This year, let us give ourselves room to bubble and grow together in the new Kingdom of God.

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

Two Sundays ago (August 10, the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time) we heard the account of Elijah’s encounter with God in the cave. This scriptural account is featured in this activity, because it is centered around the ways ordinary things can help us center on the presence of God in our lives.

Overview
This prayer technique encourages the young people to reflect on and share about how God is revealed in everything, even the mundane items of everyday life. Using a collection of ordinary and unremarkable objects, the participants reflect on how each one becomes an icon that reveals a specific quality of God.

Suggested Time
Allow 20 to 25 minutes for a group of 30 (10 to 15 minutes if you divide that group in two and conduct simultaneous sharing groups).

Group Size
This activity can be done with any size group, as long as you conduct the sharing time in groups of 15 people or fewer.

Click here to download the entire activity "Everyday Icons." This activity is an excerpt from the book Prayer Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens in the H.E.L.P. series by Saint Mary's Press. Find out more about the book by clicking here!

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 24, 2014
Matthew 16:13-30

Opening Prayer

Jesus, we believe that you are the Messiah, the anointed one, sent by God the Father to restore humankind's relationship with God. May our actions and deeds give witness to this belief. Amen.

Context Connection
The setting for this Sunday's Gospel is in "the district of Caesarea Philippi" (16:13). The city of Caesarea Philippi was located in the northernmost region of Israel on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon, an area that is a major source of water for the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. It is in this area that the tribe of Dan settled after their return from slavery in Egypt. It was also the ancient site of the city of Panias, which was built to honor the god Pan. King Herod's son Philip rebuilt the city and dedicated it to the Roman Emperor and himself, thus the name Caesarea Philippi (See The Catholic Youth Bible, map 6, section C1.).

It is in this city that Jesus asks his disciples a very important question about his identity: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" (16:13). The disciples initially respond with speculations that they have heard others voice: Jesus is John the Baptist come back to life (Matthew 14:1); Jesus is Elijah who had been taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot and has now returned to accompany the coming of God's Kingdom (Malachi 4:5–6); Jesus is one of the prophets, in particular the prophet Jeremiah (Matthew 2:17; 16:14; 27:9). This last claim is unique to Matthew's Gospel, which often points out the similarities between Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah.

Jesus then questions his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" (16:15). Jesus is not concerned with what others have to say about his identity, but what his disciples believe and say about his identity is very important. You may recall from chapter 14 in Matthew that in the story of Jesus walking on water the disciples proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God (33). Jesus wants his disciples to understand what the title "Son of God" means. Peter gives a clear and succinct response to Jesus' question: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (16:16). Jesus blesses Peter for his response because Peter's understanding is due directly to a revelation from God the Father and not to human speculation.

Because Peter professes belief in Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus places his trust in Peter and builds the Christian Church on the rock-hard foundation of Peter's faith. The Church is rock solid when it professes that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God who brings about the salvation of all. Jesus promised that as long as faith is strong not even "the gates of Hades" will prevail against it (16:18). Hades is a Greek term to describe the underworld, or the world of death. In Greek mythology the three sons of the Titans Cronus and Rhea—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—divided the world among themselves. Zeus received the sky. Poseidon was given the seas. Hades' portion was the underworld. In Hebrew Hades is translated as "Sheol," which is the place of the dead.

Jesus further emphasizes the power that he is bestowing on Peter and the Church: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (16:19). The word key has multiple meanings: a key can be used to unlock a door; a key can be used to find the correct answer to an exam; or a key can be the correct way of making the Kingdom of heaven on earth a reality. The keys to making God's Kingdom a reality on earth are for Jesus' followers to love God completely and to love their neighbor as themselves. If Jesus' disciples work to establish this Kingdom on earth, then, "whatever [the disciples] bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever [the disciples] loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (16:19). The passage closes with Jesus ordering the disciples not to tell others of his true identity as the Messiah, not yet: "Then [Jesus] sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah" (16:20).

Tradition Connection
"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (16:16). Peter's proclamation points to Jesus as the one whom all of Israel has been waiting for, the one promised by the living God who will restore humanity's relationship with God. We use the title "Christ" to designate that Jesus is the Messiah. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos—the anointed one—which is the Greek translation of Messiah. We believe Jesus the Christ is the anointed one sent by God to accomplish God's will on earth—bringing all people to salvation. Jesus did this in a threefold way as priest, prophet, and king:

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means "anointed." It became the name proper to Jesus only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that "Christ" signifies. In effect, in Israel those consecrated to God for a mission that he gave were anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for priests and, in rare instances, for prophets.¹ This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom God would send to inaugurate his kingdom definitively.² It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and priest, and also as prophet.³ Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his threefold office of priest, prophet, and king (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 436).

At baptism an individual is anointed with the holy oil of chrism by the celebrant to unite the person to Christ, who is priest, prophet, and king. Thus those baptized share in these three roles:

The baptized have become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood."⁴ By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light."⁵ Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers (Catechism, paragraph 1268).

The baptized become "living stones." Jesus continues to build his Church today upon the living stones of all the baptized.

Wisdom Connection
Jesus' question to the disciples is a question that all Christians need to answer, often many times, in their faith journey. Just as Peter's relationship grew during the three years he traveled with Jesus, our relationship with Jesus grows continuously. Each opportunity that deepens our relationship with Jesus brings new insights into Jesus' true identity. In chapter 14 of Matthew's Gospel, Peter and the other disciples proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God after they encounter him walking on water. In chapter 16 of Matthew, Peter's understanding of Jesus' identity is deeper and more profound. Peter's response comes from the depth of his being, where he knows in his heart of hearts the truth—Jesus is the Messiah. This revelation could only have come from God. At that moment of truth there is a degree of risk that Peter must take. Peter is rewarded for his willingness to be vulnerable. Jesus blesses him and makes Peter a model for all Christians of what it means to trust in God completely. Jesus was so convinced of Peter's authentic faith that he said, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (16:18). For one crucial moment, Peter opened himself to the truth and was forever changed.

Jesus asks us the same question: "Who do you say that I am?" (16:15). How will you respond? Do you recognize Jesus as the Son of the living God, or do you share the speculations of others? Are you willing to take the risk of professing your belief in Jesus? Do you dare to speak the truth? In truth we are changed. Jesus seeks those who are willing to take risks and who honestly profess their belief in him. They are the rock on which Jesus continues to build his Church.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12; 1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 16:1,12–13; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16.
2. Cf. Psalms 2:2; Acts of the Apostles 4:26–27.
3. Cf. Isaiah 11:2; 61:1; Zechariah 4:14; 6:13; Luke 4:16–21.
4. 1 Peter 2:5.
5. 1 Peter 2:9.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 31, 2014
Matthew 16:21-27

Opening Prayer

Jesus, you are the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God to bring about the redemption of humankind through your death and Resurrection. We are grateful for your selfless act of love in dying on the cross. Bring us new life through your Resurrection. Amen.

Context Connection
This Sunday's Gospel flows directly from last Sundays' Gospel, in which Peter proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah. In response, Jesus proclaims that he will build his church on the rock-hard foundation of Peter's faith. This Sunday's Gospel continues to reveal the true identity of Jesus as the Messiah. Peter's understanding of the messiah was seen through his Jewish lens, which viewed the messiah as a world leader victorious in battle, courageous in war, a liberator of his people, and a savior for all times. It was with great hope that the Jewish people awaited the coming of this messiah—an individual who would usher in the era of God's justice and peace in the world as they knew it. Peter thought he had it made; he would be the right-hand man to the Jewish messiah. After all, Jesus had just declared, "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (16:18). As Jesus slowly reveals the meaning of his role as Messiah, there is a jarring conflict with the image held by Peter and the other disciples: "Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (16:21). Jesus' prediction becomes a major stumbling block for the disciples. Expressing the disciples' turmoil, Peter rejects the possibility that Jesus, the Messiah, would have to suffer. This notion is foreign to Peter's understanding and the Jewish understanding of the messianic role. Peter reacts to Jesus' prediction using very strong language: "Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you'" (16:22). For any Jew it would have been utterly inconceivable that the Messiah would be betrayed by a disciple and would have to suffer and die. Jesus' response is as strong as Peter's rebuke: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (16:23). Understanding that the Jewish root of the word Satan means "adversary" helps us to grasp why Jesus uses this term in speaking to Peter. Peter is arguing with Jesus about the role of the Messiah. Jesus understands the role of the Messiah from God's perspective, and Peter understands the role of the Messiah from a human perspective. In arguing with Jesus, Peter becomes a stumbling block—a rock that causes others to fall and to misunderstand Jesus' role as Messiah—rather than a cornerstone upon which to build. Jesus demands that Peter and the disciples get behind him and not oppose the role that the Messiah must carry out in God's plan of salvation. Jesus' statement, "get behind me," could also refer to Jesus' desire that the disciples support and rally behind God's design for the Messiah. Jesus is trying to point out to the disciples that their vision of the Messiah's role is too narrow because it comes only from a human perspective: "For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (16:23).

Next Jesus raises the ante and challenges the disciples: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (16:24). Just as Jesus the Messiah will have to suffer and die, so too will those who follow Jesus: "Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for [Jesus'] sake will find it" (16:25). Being a disciple of this Messiah did not promise a position of earthly glory.

Tradition Connection
On several occasions Jesus shared with his disciples that he would have to travel to Jerusalem, where he would suffer and die, only to be raised from the dead on the third day. This was the plan that God had put into motion and that would result in the salvation of humankind. Jesus freely accepted God's plan and prepared his disciples to understand and embrace it:

By embracing in his human heart the Father's love for men, Jesus "loved them to the end," for "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."¹ In suffering and death his humanity became the free and perfect instrument of his divine love which desires the salvation of men.² Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death: "No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."³ Hence the sovereign freedom of God's Son as he went out to his death⁴ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 609).

The unique way in which Jesus suffered and died was by being crucified. Crucifixion was the normal method of capital punishment used by the Romans, and the cross has become the dominant symbol in Christianity. Through the cross Jesus conquered death, and through his Resurrection he created a new life of salvation in God. All of Jesus' disciples are invited to take up their cross, for it leads to new life in God:

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men."⁵ But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men.⁶ He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow [him],"⁷ for "Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps."⁸ In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries.⁹ This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering.¹⁰

"Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven"¹¹ (Catechism, paragraph 618).

In the Sacrament of Baptism we ritualize this reality of dying to self and rising to a new life dedicated to God. Baptism makes us disciples of Jesus and points to Jesus as the model for all Christians. As imitators of Jesus, we learn how to walk as children of light in our world:

Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, Christians are "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" and so participate in the life of the Risen Lord.¹² Following Christ and united with him,¹³ Christians can strive to be "imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love"¹⁴ by conforming their thoughts, words and actions to the "mind . . . which is yours in Christ Jesus,"¹⁵ and by following his example¹⁶ (Catechism, paragraph 1694).

Wisdom Connection
Matthew wants his community to understand that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jewish people have been waiting for; however, Jesus the Christ does not fit neatly into the Jewish concept of messiah. Jesus is not a worldly leader who has conquered other nations in battle. Instead, Jesus has done something far greater and more liberating: Jesus has conquered death. In conquering death through his own Passion, death, and Resurrection, Jesus has won salvation for all humankind.

Even the disciples who knew Jesus as friend struggled with this new insight into the role of the Messiah in God's plan of salvation. If the original disciples struggled to grasp this new understanding of the Messiah then it was okay for Matthew's community to struggle with this revelation as well. However, in the end, Jesus' followers need to "get behind" Jesus as the Messiah who conquered death and liberated humankind. This is an essential precept of the Christian faith.

In professing that Jesus is the Messiah as defined by God's revelation, Jesus' followers will also face suffering and pain. Jesus did not come to do away with these conditions of human nature but to be a model of how to deal with suffering and death, which lead to new life in resurrection. Jesus' honor is restored by God when God raises him from the dead on the third day. For Jesus' disciples, honor is won by taking up their cross each day: "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for [Jesus'] sake will find it" (16:25).

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. John 13:1; 15:13.
2. Cf. Hebrews 2:10,17-18; 4:15; 5:7-9.
3. John 10:18.
4. Cf. John 18:4-6; Matthew 26:53.
5. 1 Timothy 2:5.
6. Gaudium et spes 22 § 5; cf. § 2.
7. Matthew 16:24.
8. 1 Peter 2:21.
9. Cf. Mark 10:39; John 21:18-19; Colossians 1:24.
10. Cf. Luke 2:35.
11. St. Rose of Lima, cf. P. Hansen, Via Mirabilis (Louvain, 1668).
12. Romans 6:11 and cf. 6:5; cf. Colossians 2:12.
13. Cf. John 15:5.
14. Ephesians 5:1-2.
15. Philippians 2:5.
16. Cf. John 13:12-16.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 7, 2014
Matthew 18:15-20

Opening Prayer

Jesus, help me to stay focused on your Great Commandment—to love God fully and to love my neighbor as myself. Give me your grace so that I will respond in loving ways when others hurt me. Help me to seek reconciliation, rather than revenge, through dialogue with others. Amen.

Context Connection
In order to understand this Sunday's Gospel, it should be read within the larger context of chapter 18 in Matthew's Gospel as well as within the context of Jesus' overall message of love. Prior to Sunday's reading, Matthew presents the parable of the lost sheep (18:10-14). In this parable the shepherd has a hundred sheep and one gets lost, so he leaves the ninety-nine behind and searches for the one lost sheep until it is found. This is hard to believe because most shepherds would stay with the ninety-nine and cut their losses. Matthew uses this story to illustrate that God will go to great lengths to rescue the lost and that God desires that all be saved. It seems curious then that Matthew follows this story by having Jesus state that "if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (18:17). In other words, let that person be cast out from the community. In next Sunday's reading, however, Matthew has Peter asking Jesus how often he must forgive those who have sinned against him. Jesus responds by saying as many as "seventy-seven times," or without end (18:22). Jesus' message in chapter 18 of Matthew and his overall command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (22:39) serves as the backdrop for understanding the meaning of this Sunday's Gospel.

Sunday's Gospel gives us a glimpse of how the early Christian community struggled to be true to Jesus' teaching—to love their neighbor and forgive those who sinned against them. The reality was that maintaining peace and harmony within the community was difficult when sin, because of its interpersonal nature, caused conflict. Matthew tries to convey to his audience what justice, tempered by love, should look like in the context of a Christian community. Just as the early Church struggled with this issue, the contemporary Church struggles as well. Members of the Christian community are called to be responsible for one another and, when sin occurs, to handle conflict within the community with loving correction. Correcting a member of the community requires compassion and sensitivity to maintain the honor and dignity of the person involved. This approach demands that members be given every opportunity to change their ways before being shut out of the community. It is critical for the Church to always remember that Jesus reached out to sinners, tax collectors, and other outsiders throughout his entire ministry.

Matthew presents a three-step process for dealing with a church member who has sinned against another member. This process assumes that a serious sin or wrongdoing, not some petty personal bickering, has taken place. The first step is to approach the person who has committed the offense and have a discussion with that person on a one-on-one basis. If that does not resolve the situation, the next step is to take two or three members of the church with you to discuss the offense further with the individual. If the person is still not willing to listen, the last step is to tell the whole church community, in hope that the person will repent. If the person does not listen to the whole church, then she or he is expelled from the community as a last resort. This drastic step of excommunication was probably intended to shock the offender with the hope that she or he would eventually seek reconciliation.

The first step in this process is based on Leviticus 19:17-18: "You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor. . . . You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The second step is based on Deuteronomy 19:15: "A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained." The two or three witnesses testify that the alleged offense committed by the erring member is true and that the member is willing or unwilling to repent.

This three-step process may have originated with the Essenes, who used a similar process to deal with conflict in their community at Qumran. The third step, which could result in excommunication of the member from the community, was not to be taken lightly. It was only to be used as a last resort. This decision was discerned only after the community had spent time in prayer: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). The community understood that God guided their decisions and that whatever they bound on earth was bound in heaven. When the community did have to excommunicate a member, they were still responsible for the salvation of that individual. Just as Jesus reached out to sinners, Gentiles, and tax collectors, the Christian community is to continue reaching out to sinners and those outside the Church.

Tradition Connection
The foundational virtue that this Sunday's Gospel builds upon is the theological virtue of love or charity. The Church member who has been wronged is expected to treat the offender with love as he or she seeks reconciliation. We know from Paul's writings that love never ends. We may do a variety of great things but if we do not do them out of love, "[We] gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3):

"If I . . . have not charity," says the Apostle, "I am nothing." Whatever my privilege, service, or even virtue, "if I . . . have not charity, I gain nothing."¹ Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: "So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity"² (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1826).

If charity (love) is always the motivating force behind everything that we do, then we will always desire good for others. The virtue of love, when integrated into our lives as Jesus showed us, can only produce good. Love is the source of energy that nurtures all the other Christian virtues:

The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony";³ it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love (Catechism, paragraph 1827).

We are able to love like God because God first loved us. Jesus, the Incarnation of God's love, shows us how to make love the foundational virtue in our lives. The results of a life rooted in love are joy, peace, and mercy. The fruits of love allow us to deal lovingly with those who sin against us:

The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion:

"Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest"⁴ (Catechism, paragraph 1829).

(Note: The word disinterested used in this context means impartial.)

Wisdom Connection
The relationship between love of neighbor and banishing someone from the Christian community was a struggle for the early Christian community and continues to be today.

Jesus' sayings in this segment of Matthew's Gospel describe for all Christians the qualities and behavior that they should possess in handling conflict within the Church in a loving way. Matthew's perspective is a practical and fair way to deal with grievances within the Church community. The step-by-step approach begins with a one-to-one loving conversation, then moves to a loving conversation with two or three members of the Church, and, if all else fails, finally calls the entire community to mediate. This process hopes that in the course of loving conversation reconciliation will be reached. If a member who has committed an offense will not change her or his ways after all these possibilities have been exhausted then—and only then—should it end with the decision to excommunicate.

The backdrop for reconciling conflict within the Church is Christian love—love of neighbor. A person who enters this process rooted in Christian love will never do wrong to a neighbor or to God. Jesus' Great Commandment—to love God fully and to love your neighbor as yourself—guided the early Christian community. It helped them develop a way to live in community and to deal with conflicts as they arose. This commandment to love also guides the Christian community today.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. 1 Corinthians 13:1-4.
2. 1 Corinthians 13:13.
3. Colossians 3:14.
4. St. Augustine, In ep. Jo. 10, 4: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina (Paris: 1841-1855) 35, 2057.

Saint Bernard, the founder of the Cistercian Order, is a good example of someone who followed God’s call and brought his family and friends along with him! He reminds us that we can do good things much more easily if we have the support of a community or of a group of friends. How can we contribute to the groups of which we are a part? How can we influence young people to do good things with the support of one another?

Saint Bernard also preached the Second Crusade, but later he seemed to have deeply regretted doing so. This can teach us that saints are not saints because they have become perfect in every way. Even saints are influenced by the culture of their times. Even saints make mistakes. But saints are saints because they follow God’s call as best they can.

A reflection resource on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (found in the interactive Liturgical Calendar on the Saint Mary's Press website) also emphasizes his life of prayer. The short explanation of lectio divina in this resource may inspire you to read and learn more about this simple but profound method of scriptural prayer.