A beautiful story is often told about the Himba people of Namibia. According to the story, when a woman learns that she is going to have a child, she goes to a quiet place with trusted friends. There, they pray, remain silent, and listen for the “song” of the child—a song that represents the child’s unique identity, dignity, and place in the community.

Once the mother learns the song, she teaches it to the rest of the village.

They sing the song when the child is born. They sing it at important moments of life and when the person accomplishes something good.

But one part of the story is especially beautiful. When someone does something wrong or hurts someone, the community gathers around them and sings the song again. Why?

Because the purpose of correction is not simply to punish someone. It is to remind the person: “This is who you are. You are better than what you have done. Remember your dignity. Remember the person you are called to be.”

Jesus Calls Us Back to Who We Are

That gives us a beautiful way of understanding today’s Gospel.

Jesus speaks about correcting a brother or sister who has sinned. But notice that Jesus places correction within the context of relationship and community. And then He says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

The Church is that community gathered in the name of Jesus.

At Mass, We Hear Our Song Again

Here we hear our “song” again—not a tribal song, but the Word of God.

Every Sunday, Scripture reminds us who we are. When we forget our dignity, God’s Word tells us that we are His beloved children. When we sin, His Word calls us back. When we become discouraged, the community strengthens us. When we become confused about our purpose, the Eucharist reminds us that our lives are centered in Christ.

In a sense, every time we gather for Mass, God sings our song back to us:

“Remember who you are. You belong to Me. You belong to one another. Now go and live according to that dignity.”

Returning to the Basics of Our Faith

So perhaps we can begin again with the basics: renewing our commitment to Sunday Mass, arriving early enough to prepare for worship, praying more deeply, listening attentively to God’s Word, receiving the Eucharist with reverence, and allowing our faith to shape how we treat one another.

The Word of God reminds us who we are.

Helping One Another Remember

And when one of us falls, perhaps our first response should not be condemnation. Instead, like the community in that beautiful story, we help that person remember the song:

“You are a child of God. You have dignity. You are loved. You can begin again.”

That is what a Christian community should do for one another. We remind each other who we are until, by God’s grace, we begin to live that song again.

Leave Having Heard Your Song Again

The Eucharist strengthens us to become who God calls us to be. And the people gathered around us remind us that we do not walk this journey alone.

Once we enter this church, we should not leave the same person who walked in. We should leave having heard our song again.