Titus 1:1-9 / Luke 17:1-6
To be a Christian is difficult because others will observe or even scrutinize our behaviour.
And if we don’t behave as a good Christian, then there will certainly be criticisms.
To be a Christian leader can be even more challenging and demanding.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul listed out for Titus the requirements for choosing and appointing elders for the Christian community.
And the requirements are so demanding that it would be like a miracle if anyone could ever be chosen.
And if anyone dares to accept the appointment of being an elder in the Christian community, he must be able to accept correction and even criticism.
And if he ever stumbles and falls, and becomes an obstacle for others, then, as Jesus said in the gospel, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck.
But the critical test for any Christian, and more so for a Christian leader, is in the virtue of forgiveness.
If a Christian cannot forgive others, then being a Christian is a contradiction.
May we always forgive others, just as God has forgiven us in Chirst.