23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

While patrolling the streets a police officer sees two men fighting and a little boy standing alongside them crying, “Dad…, Dad…!” The officer pulls the two men apart and, turning to the boy, asks, “Which one is your father, boy?” Rubbing tears from his eyes, the boy says, I don’t know. That’s what they’re fighting about.”
In today’s second reading Saint Paul acts as a spiritual father to bring reconciliation between two Christian brothers Philemon and Onesimus.
What’s happened between Philemon and Onesimus?
Philemon is a respected Christian leader who has been converted to Christ by Saint Paul and who uses his house for community worship and gathering. Onesimus is a slave in Philemon’s household. One day Onesimus after robbing his master, flees to Rome where he meets Paul. What Paul done than?
He first guides Onesimus to become a believer in Christ and then sends him to Philemon so that true reconciliation between them is made possible. However, perceiving perhaps that such an approach could fail Paul takes the first and most important step to pursue peace. He humbly introduces himself, “I, Paul, an old man, and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus.” Then he refers to Onesimus as his child and a bit of his own heart and, appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his household as he would receive Paul himself.
Moreover, he asks Philemon to accept him not as a slave but as a beloved brother. As for Paul, the grace of God is free to all but it does not come easy. It demands self-control, self-sacrifice and self-denial. It must have been hard for Philemon to regard a runaway salve as a brother, but that is exactly what Paul demands.
What is the message for us?
We must understand the cost that comes from following Christ. Jesus demands self-control, self-sacrifice and self-denial. In other words, for true reconciliation and peace we must be humble and willing to endure humiliation, pain and suffering.
We must always welcome back people who hurt or offend us or do wrong. Sometimes we are not prepared to trust them again. We find it too difficult to forgive and accept them back. Christ demands that we truly repent, forgive the person and provide an opportunity for reconciliation and mend a broken relationship.