You talkin' to me?

Have you ever gone to Mass and the priest's sermon seems like it is just for you?  It's as if he is looking into your soul and into your life and knows exactly what you need to hear.  Yesterday was like that for me. 

Most of Fr. Joe's sermon was based on the first part of to Saint Matthew's gospel:

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.

We not only have a responsibility to do what is right, we also have a responsibility to let others know, in a charitable way, when they are going something that goes against God's law. 

Wow!  Heavy stuff.  It's so easy to sit back and say that doesn't affect me so I'm not going to do or say anything.  It's easy to do nothing or to complain about the offender to someone else.  I'll just go along and get along.  Nope, I'm called to do more. 

I've been struggling with this somewhat at work, actually on two fronts.  The first is probably the most painful.  There's a couple of people to whom Jesus Christ isn't their Lord and Saviour but a swear word.  When they've said it, it was like someone stuck a dagger in my heart.  I physically hurt.  But I didn't say anything.  Why?

The other situation is typical work drama.  There's a team lead that is not only ineffective, she lies, takes credit for other peoples' work and is incredibly self-centered.  But yet we haven't said anything to her about it.  We just complain to each other and our management.  Why?

I pray that tomorrow, when I go back to work after the long weekend, I can charitably live out Matthew's gospel and Fr Joe's sermon.

Pray for me, won't you?