Cycle A - Year 1:  

5 November 2017:  Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Malachi 1:14b--2:2b, 8-10

Second Reading:   1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 23:1-12

To be servant of all!

There are two types of leaders: one who simply gives commands for his followers to execute, and the one who works with the team to achieve the goal. Who do you think is an effective leader between the two?

In the practical world, we say that leaders should "walk the talk", meaning they live what they preach.

In today's Gospel, we hear our Lord Jesus Christ's harsh condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders of His time.

Jesus addresses Himself to the multitude and to the disciples and criticizes the scribes

and the Pharisees because of the incoherence between their words and their actions. Their basic error is that they speak but they themselves do not do.

Now Jesus recognizes the authority and knowledge of these leaders. "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." (Mt 23:2-3)

Thus, our Lord Jesus is talking about hypocrisy,  that of yesterday during His time, as well as today, in our own generation. He condemns the lack of coherence and of sincerity in the relationship with God and with the neighbor.

Going further, Jesus enumerates the diverse point which reveal this incoherence. For example, some scribes  and Pharisees imposed heavy laws upon the people. They know the laws well, but they did not practice them; neither did they use their knowledge of the law to lessen the weight imposed upon the people.

This hypocrisy and incoherence is happening down to our generation among those we look up as leaders.... in civil society, political field, and even spiritual or religious groups. And the corruption of the best is the worst, because people get demoralized over scandals involving spiritual leaders.

So how do we overcome this hypocrisy and incoherence? How should a Christian community be?

Well, leadership and whatever titles we earned or given are good as long as they remind us of and lead us to God's presence. But we should give more importance to service rather than to honors and titles. And all community functions should be assumed as a service to God through our neighbors. But are we willing to give up certain privileges for the sake of serving God and our neighbor?

The parting words of Jesus in today's Gospel is clear: "The greatest among you must be your servant."

A blessed Sunday to us all. and thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!