Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 23, 1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Humility
1. Only to be seen. Narcissism is one of the issues that we must deal with nowadays. We have become so narcissistic! We like to show off, to make it obvious to others that we’re great. Just have a look at Instagram or Facebook where some people turn their life into a collection of selfies. Even within the Church, sometimes we consider ourselves the “purest.” Something that stands out about early Christians is the humility with which they lived. There’s no need to show off who we are or what we are doing. Today, let’s do what we must do with love, and for love… not to show off! The most beautiful flowers grow in silence and a Christian is called to do the most beautiful things in silence.
2. Heavy burdens. The scribes and the Pharisees had the problem of not living according to what they preached. They considered their position and their duties very important and imposed rules on others. Today Jesus could be talking to you; when you impose your own wishes and demand that things be done the way you want. This can even happen with friends or those people who claim to be your friends, but they just call you when they have a problem and that’s the only reason they talk to you. These relationships are simply based on demands. In our Christian life we can also adopt this attitude, imposing our thoughts and beliefs on others and believing that we know more than anyone else.
3. Servant. Service is what heals pride and self-importance. It heals the attitude of showing superiority or arrogance. That is why it is good to see superiors of congregations wash the dishes or bathrooms to send themselves a message, to avoid forgetting that their authority comes through service and not through their titles or positions. The higher up we are in authority within the Church, the more we should serve others.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
