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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