Remember Who You Are

For the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on Matthew 18:15-20 and the practice of fraternal correction, arguing that Jesus' opening words — "if your brother" — mean correction only makes sense once we first recognize the other person as family. Drawing on his own relationship with his adopted sister, who has distanced herself from the faith and hurt him deeply, Zac reframes spiritual siblinghood not as a given based on likeness but as an adoption that holds regardless of how the other person acts or looks. He ties this to the sacrament of reconciliation and the Mass as places where "two or three gathered" in Christ's name make His presence real, closing with a meditation in which Christ speaks identity and belovedness directly over the listener before calling them to extend that same mercy to others. Reflection Questions: Before you've ever tried to correct someone, do you first see them as a brother or sister — or as a stranger who happens to be near you? Fraternal correction is meant to flow from love, not from the "emotional sharpness of a knife." Think of a recent correction you gave or received — which was it closer to? Mufasa tells Simba, "Remember who you are." What has caused you to forget your identity as a son or daughter of God lately, and what might help you remember it? Here's the link to the text of the meditation to bring into your personal prayer and go deeper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11sFeeNHXn8EbfGGuy53U9TqG1p0-pjekzaLj2YXqV5w/edit?usp=sharing _____ Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A