We are gathered in the name of Jesus!

XXIII Sunday “A” Matthew 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."

The largest growing religion in the United States is those who have no religion. People who aren’t atheists, but they just stopped going to church. The pandemic seemed to accelerate their numbers. They are called the “nones”. Since they are such a large group and growing in number there is much that is being written about them. One of the things that is noted about them is that they lack a sense of community. They are increasingly isolated and have little relationship to other people. They are trying to find things like sports, or politics or book clubs as a way to gather them together in a group. They are coming to realize that for all its faults the church did a good job of gathering us in a community. We are not gathered together in the name of Cruz of Azul, or a language club or the Morena party, we are gathered together in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the one who gathers us together and it is something that we must never forget. Jesus in the Gospel today says, “where two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them.” In the Gospel I don’t think that Jesus is thinking of those big gatherings like world youth day in Portugal or the 12th of December in the Villa. Whenever two or three or gathered in the name of Jesus, Jesus is there. You don’t need the bishops and priests; it doesn’t have to be in a big cathedral with a beautiful choir. The number isn’t important. What is important is that we are gathered in the name of Jesus. We are gathered together in the name of Jesus. We have come to hear his word and to share his body and blood. Jesus is always the center of our community gathered here in his name. It is the presence of Jesus that must animate, guide and sustain our community. Jesus is the one must nourish our prayer, our celebrations, projects and activities. Jesus is the center of our Christian life. We come together every Sunday not of our habit or simply tradition or to fulfill our obligation. We come together to meet in the name of Jesus. We must never forget that Jesus is the center of our Church, he is the meaning of our church. We come together to listen to his word and to share his body, to be filled with his peace so we might proclaim the Good News to others. It is good for us to be concerned about the future of the Church, but we need to remember that the Church isn’t pope Francis, or the bishops and priests. We are the Church. We are the ones who must make sure that Jesus is always the center of our communities. Next month there will be a synod in Rome. It would be a mistake for us to think that “they” are the ones who will decide the future of the church. The whole focus of the synod is to try to include as many voices as possible so that together we can always keep the presence of God the center of our lives. I don’t know how the “nones” are going to find their sense of community. I don’t know what it is that will join them together. Maybe a sport, a politician, a book, or a museum. But for us I know what it is that gathers us together. It is Jesus! We are gathered in his name. And wherever two or three of us are gathered in his name… he will always be in our midst.