Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Reflection for Sunday, November 5, Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 23:1-12


Gospel: 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.”
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Reflection:
A father would always remind his wife and his young children to attend Sunday Mass. But the problem is the father would not lead the way. He commands his family to go to Mass yet he does not go to Mass. The father miserably fails in his leadership by not living what he preaches. 

How could you become an effective sharer of your faith? It’s by being a living example of your faith. You also have to be sincere by doing what you preach. For example, if you want your family to go to Holy Mass you first have to lead and show the way.

What does this mean? You yourself have to go to Mass, you should be the first to wake up and dress up. it’s through these acts of leadership that you would win the respect and cooperation of your family.      

In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus speaks about leadership by example and servanthood. This seems to be a contradiction for how could be a leader be a servant at the same time? However, there is no contradiction between these two. They go together like best friends for the simple reason that one cannot exist without the other.

The Pharisees and Scribes were chastised by Jesus for trumpeting themselves as leaders. However, they were leaders in name only for they did not walk their talk and they did not serve the people that they were supposed to serve.

You might be a leader today or you might aspire for a leadership position somewhere along the way. You have to remember that a true leader always shows and leads the way. And He/she is always ready to serve the people that he/she leads. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

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