A Catholic Clergy Perspective: TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A): AS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH TOGETHER WE GROW AS DISCIPLES IN LOVE, MERCY AND FORGIVENESS! by Deacon Jim Merle

Friday, September 4, 2026

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A): AS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH TOGETHER WE GROW AS DISCIPLES IN LOVE, MERCY AND FORGIVENESS! by Deacon Jim Merle

In conversations with people, I have discovered over the years that everyone has been involved in dysfunctional behavior in their family either directly or indirectly. A few are just a matter of talking it out, working to improve one’s behavior over time. Others may take an intervention to see the problems. Some are serious and require professional assistance.

In matters of our Christian faith, our Gospel and readings this weekend illustrate either a full change to make things right or suffering consequences both in this world and afterwards.

In the United States, at least, people seem to thrive on individualistic success in the areas of wealth, fame and power. Taking advantage of a situation which may or may not harm someone is not so much a sin as it is considered a smart play to get ahead. How one leads their life is based on decisions. Sometimes it works in your favor and at other times, not so much. So much for the non-Christian population who do not look past the earthly life they live.

We who are baptized Christians have a different code to follow if we want to live beyond our earthly life in eternal happiness. Simply, love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and others (no matter who they are) as Christ loves us by dying on the cross for our sins and being raised from the death for our salvation.

Living as a Christian seems unfair at times, especially when we are hurt by someone who takes advantage of our belief system. Aren’t we supposed to be equal under the law of man’s or God’s? Where is our relief?

St. Matthew’s Gospel today offers a three-throng approach approved by God that helps us follow our path of discipleship without sinning to get God’s point across of love, mercy and forgiveness even for sinners.

If you are wronged by someone, talk with him or her about what happened with the idea that the wrong can be rectified. If he or she listens, peace has been made. If this does not happen, take step two, and discuss the matter with others listening to bring the problem to a close. If the person still does not agree, take the person to those in authority who can act against the perpetrator and issue punishment in whatever form is available.

If the person is a fellow Christian, the same steps are still followed except for the last one which is to bring him or her before Church officials where a decision could be made to condemn the person with excommunication loss of God’s graces if they refuse to cooperate with God’s ways.

Let us take this week to investigate our lives to see if we are having difficulty with someone who is taking advantage of us or if we are causing pain to someone because we believe we are right about a difference of opinion. In either case, take the first step by asking God’s help to reach out to that person no matter what side we are on to see if it can be solved to save our relationship with one another and God.

God offers us a road map of love, mercy and forgiveness as the best path toward solving demanding situations. Let us journey in God’s footsteps for a solution versus the alternative of rejection and unwanted consequences. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst.” (Mt. 18:20)

Reading 1:     Ezekiel 33:7 – 9
Psalm:            95:1 – 2, 6 – 9
Reading 2:     Romans 13:8 – 1-
Gospel:          Matthew 18:15 - 20

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Bishop Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD, D MIN

He was ordained on May 30, 1981, and was assigned to graduate studies in canon law at the Angelicum in Rome, with residence at the graduate house of the North American College, the Casa Santa Maria dell’ Umilta. Pope Leo XIV, when a priest, also attended these classes at the same time. Upon returning to the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, Father Vann participated in the work of the Diocesan Tribunal and the Tribunal of Second Instance in Chicago. He served as pastor of parishes ranging in size from 35 to 1,300 families, two which had large schools. He taught canon law at Kenrick Seminary. Before he was named bishop, he was pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, Vicar for Priests and the Diocesan contact for Hispanic Ministry. Bishop Vann was ordained and installed as the third bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Forth Worth, Texas, on July 13, 2005, at Texas Christian University’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. In Texas, he collaborated closely with other bishops through the Texas Catholic Conference and Region X, which includes dioceses of States of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He is the former Texas Bishops’ Liaison to the Texas Mission Council and Texas Catholic hospitals. And, through the U.S. Conference of Bishops, Bishop Vann was a leader in the Texas Conference of Bishops, providing leadership for various initiatives at the national level, including service on ad hoc committee which assisted the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) to guide the incorporation of Anglican groups into the Catholic Church of the United States. On September 21, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced Bishop Vann’s appointment as the fourth bishop of Orange, the 11th largest diocese in the country and the second-largest west of the Mississippi with 1.3 million multicultural Catholics. He continues to lead the historic effort to transform the former Crystal Cathedral from a world-renowned center of Protestant worship into the West Coast’s most visible center of Catholicism.

Father Glenn Baaten

A priest of the ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, a community with the Catholic Church made up of former Anglicans and Episcopalians. He Currently serves as Parish Administrator of St. John Henry Newman Catholic Church in Irvine and as Chaplain of Santiago Retreat Center in Silverado. His ministry within the Diocese of Orange, California, is a collaborative appointment by Bishop Steven Lopes and Bishop Kevin Vann. Fr. Glenn was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on June 24, 2016, the Feast of St. John the Baptist. His journey to the Catholic Church followed years of faithful ministry in Protestant communities. He was ordained a Presbyterian pastor in 1998 and served a PCUSA parish in Cincinnati, Ohio. After returning to California in 2010, he discerned a call to Anglican ministry and was ordained in the Church of England tradition in 2013. He relinquished his Anglican holy orders and, after catechesis, was received into the Church on Christmas eve of that year. Fr. Glenn has been married to Cathy for 42 years. They are the blessed parents of two adult children and grandparents of three. His ministry is marked by a strong commitment to evangelization, Christian unity and sacred beauty of the liturgy. As a follower of Christ these many past decades – most especially as a priest – Fr. Glenn is committed to sharing the grace and love of Jesus to all and living the depth of that faith in the fulness of the Catholic Church.

Deacon Jim Merle

Deacon Jim was ordained 20 years ago on April 30, 2005, and lives in Southern California where he has served the Catholic Church on parish, diocesan and national levels. He periodically writes Pastoral Letters for church bulletins, as well as articles for the Diaconate community’s “Bowl & Towel” and the diocesan newspaper in addition to “A Catholic Deacon’s Perspective,” recently renamed “A Catholic Clergy’s Perspective” with the addition of Bishop Kevin W. Vann and Fr. Glenn Baaten as periodic writers. On the parish level he has served at three parishes involved in helping with Sacramental training, Faith Formation and annulments. His diocesan involvements include a six-year term on the Diaconate Personnel Board, a founding committee member of the God’s Servants Committee (an educational component of quarterly meetings for active deacons), as a Master of Ceremonies at Confirmations, ordinations, installations and other ceremonies, an Advanced Master Catechist Certification to teach theological and certification classes and recently was selected to head up a Deanery Council of Deacons and their wives to support their ordination faculties and activities in each of the seven deaneries. On a local and national level, he coordinated the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) diocesan board for 14 years. CCHD is the domestic social justice arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) which distribute parishioner’s donations for non-profit organizations to empower the impoverished, marginalized and disenfranchised who have social justice needs. In his early career he was a writer/reporter for a well-known Chicago newspaper, as well as owning a public relations/advertising firm. He is now semi-retired and works parttime in two professional practices he owns. On a personal note, he is married 57 years, helped rear four children with his wife, a grandfather to 10 grandchildren and a great grandfather to six great grandchildren.

BLOG INTRODUCTION

Scripture is like the eyes into God’s soul. Whether from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or the New Testament, we can garner, as best we can, who God is (what He feels and how He thinks in human terms). The original and current purpose of this blog, which began in 2019, is to take a three-year cycle of A, B and C Gospels and readings from each Sunday and provide a perspective as it pertains to our current lives as seen through the eyes of a Catholic clergy who serve Catholics in words and deeds per their ordination. Since completing the three-year cycles, it has been expanded to investigate the areas of Commentaries, Scripture and Theology. It is because of that the blog will now have writings from Bishop Kevin Vann, Ordinary of the Diocese of Orange, California, Father Glenn Baaten, a former Anglican priest, ordained into the Roman Catholic Church as a priest, and Deacon Jim Merle, who recently celebrated his 20th year ordination and started this blog. Bishop Vann and Father Glenn will author articles on a periodic basis based upon the time they have to devote to the blog. Deacon Jim will continue to offer weekly articles, still based on the three-year cycle along with various current events that challenge us to balance our humanity with our spiritual lives. The hope is that you, our subscribers, will see this as something of value to help you grow closer to the Lord.