Reading 1
Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the LORD’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
Gospel
Mt 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
Meditation: Matthew 18:15-20
“If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 18:19)
Wow, what a promise! But let’s be clear. Jesus isn’t talking about some magical way to get whatever we want. And he isn’t guaranteeing that we will win the lottery if we just ask a friend to join us in prayer for such a huge windfall. No, Jesus is talking about how good it is to have someone praying with us for something we need or deeply desire.
It is not always easy waiting and trusting in the Lord, and that’s why it’s so helpful to be able to have someone join us in prayer. Praying with someone is very encouraging. It helps us to know that someone else is supporting us and understands our need. It also helps strengthen our resolve to persevere and helps us discern God’s direction when someone offers us words of wisdom or encouragement.
Consider this true story: A woman and her husband were at the point of divorce. The woman dearly wanted to save their marriage, but her husband kept demanding that she sign divorce papers. Eventually he moved out of the house. Brokenhearted, his wife asked some friends to pray with her for the healing of their marriage. These friends joined her in prayer and supported her through her difficulties. Together they stormed heaven to bring her husband back, and thirteen months later, he did reconcile with his wife. Both the man and the woman acknowledge that it was God’s grace that brought them back together and mended their relationship. They both believe, also, that the woman would not have held onto any hope if it weren’t for the prayerful support of her dear friends.
Is there someone you know who needs your prayer? Is there someone you can join in praying for a special intention? Team up with that person, and you’ll be amazed at what happens. Keep persevering, and watch how the Lord works in both of your lives. Journeying together can give great peace in the storms of life, no matter what the outcome. In fact, that peace just may be the unintended answer to your prayers!
“Lord, give your children the gift of faith in your promises—and the gift of fellowship with each other.”
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