20210821 BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS
21 August, 2021, Saturday, 20th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17 © |
Ruth gives birth to Obed, the grandfather of David
Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, well-to-do and of Elimelech’s clan. His name was Boaz.
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Let me go into the fields and glean among the ears of corn in the footsteps of some man who will look on me with favour.’ And she said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.’ So she set out and went to glean in the fields after the reapers. And it chanced that she came to that part of the fields which belonged to Boaz of Elimelech’s clan.
Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter, and understand this. You are not to glean in any other field, do not leave here but stay with my servants. Keep your eyes on whatever part of the field they are reaping and follow behind. I have ordered my servants not to molest you. And if you are thirsty, go to the pitchers and drink what the servants have drawn.’ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground. And she said to him, ‘How have I so earned your favour that you take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered her, ‘I have been told all you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, and how you left your own father and mother and the land where you were born to come among a people whom you knew nothing about before you came here.’
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when they came together, the Lord made her conceive and she bore a son. And the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has not left the dead man without next of kin this day to perpetuate his name in Israel. The child will be a comfort to you and the prop of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is more to you than seven sons has given him birth.’ And Naomi took the child to her own bosom and she became his nurse.
And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name. ‘A son has been born for Naomi’ they said; and they named him Obed. This was the father of David’s father, Jesse.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 127(128):1-5 © |
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:36,29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt23:9,10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You have only one Father,
and he is in heaven;
you have only one Teacher,
the Christ.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 23:1-12 © |
They do not practise what they preach
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11, 4:13-17; Ps 128:1-5; Mt 23:1-12]
Just as Naomi was an exemplary mother-in-law, Ruth was also an exemplary daughter-in-law. She was responsible and self-reliant. She did not wait for food to be brought to her. And she did not expect her mother-in-law to slog for her as well. Instead, she told Naomi, “Let me go into the fields and glean among the ears of corn in the footsteps of some man who will look on me with favour.” Indeed, Ruth was resourceful. She did not withdraw from the community just because she was a foreigner or a widow. Courageously, she ventured out alone to bring food for Naomi and herself.
So much so, Boaz was so inspired and edified by her example that he took a liking to her. He said to Ruth, “You are not to glean in any other field, do not leave here but stay with my servants. Keep your eyes on whatever part of the field they are reaping and follow behind. I have ordered my servants not to molest you. And if you are thirsty, go to the pitchers and drink what the servants have drawn.” Ruth was so humbled and grateful for the generous offer and “bowing to the ground, she said to him, ‘How have I so earned your favour that you take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered her, ‘I have been told all you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, and how you left your own father and mother and the land where you were born to come among a people whom you knew nothing about before you came here.” Indeed, it was not her external beauty that attracted Boaz but the beauty of her heart. He was impressed at her devotion to her mother-in-law. Not surprisingly, Boaz would later take her as his wife. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when they came together, the Lord made her conceive and she bore a son.”
Truly, to have such a devoted wife or a mother-in-law is the best gift any husband or mother would desire. This was what the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left the dead man without next of kin this day to perpetuate his name in Israel. The child will be a comfort to you and the prop of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is more to you than seven sons has given him birth.” Indeed, Ruth became such a great blessing to the founding of Israel as a nation for she gave birth to Obed who was the father of David’s father, Jesse. Boaz could be sure as well that just as Ruth was faithful and kind to her mother-in-law, and responsible in her tasks, she would be a great mother and wife to him as well.
Today, all of us are asked to live edifying and inspiring lives so that we can be mentors to our people, especially the young. In the gospel, Jesus denounced the religious leaders of Israel for failing to be exemplary leaders of their community. Yet, we must be careful that we are not presumptuous to think that all the Pharisees and the scribes were bad leaders. On the contrary, most of them were simply seeking to be faithful to the laws of the Covenant. Some of the oral interpretations and traditions were meant to help the people to be faithful to the Covenantal laws. They were aids and certainly helpful. This was why the Lord told the people, “‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach.” Jesus was not condemning all the Pharisees or the scribes, except for those who hypocritically conducted themselves. This is true in all religions as well. Catholic leaders not exempted from this failure to be authentic leaders.
The heart of Jesus’ reprimand is hypocrisy. There are two ways we can act hypocritically. The first is to teach people what to do but as the Lord said, “they do not practice what they preach.” Indeed, it is always easier to say what we must do but when we ourselves cannot do it, we have failed as Christian leaders. We lack authenticity and realism because such ideals are beyond us and often make our listeners feel disheartened because they feel so helpless and discouraged that they are so far from what Jesus is asking of them. Hence, the Lord had this to say about these religious leaders, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!” Leaders must walk the talk. Unless we walk the talk, and realize how difficult it is to apply the gospel to our own lives, we will become self-righteous, idealistic and lacking compassion for those who fail to do what the gospel requires of them. Religion, instead of giving them consolation and liberating them, will only add more burden to them. But for Jesus, He came to set us free from the yoke of the law. He said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)
Secondly, hypocrisy is when we act and appear to be holy and righteous, by our clothing and gestures but it is all for show. This kind of hypocrisy is found in all of us. Today, creating impressions, saying the right thing, exaggerating our talents, knowledge and goodness before others in social media is very common. We want the world to think the best of us. But little does the world realize how we live our private life, when it comes to relationship with our closed ones, our spouse, siblings, children and workers. We are harsh, demanding, selfish, rude, short-tempered, lazy and irresponsible. Not just in social media but also in clothing and lifestyle. We want the world to think well of us by showing off our expensive clothing, jewelleries, our posh car, our beautiful and grand apartment or bungalow, or a lifestyle where the rich and famous would dine and be seen.
So too religious, social and political leaders are tempted to act that way. Hence, Jesus said, “Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.” In itself, the wearing of phylacteries and tassels is not something negative. So too taking the place of honour is not necessarily wrong. Society lives by signs and symbols. We are cultural and sacramental beings. Religious people, especially clergy, would wear some signs as a witness to their faith and at the same time to remind them of who they are. A bishop wears a pectoral cross to remind him to stay close to Jesus and to be a shepherd to his people. A religious person wears a habit to remind him of his consecration to the Lord. Today, it is when all religious symbols are stood aside that we begin to live like the rest of the world, no longer set apart to be “holy”, that is, different and consecrated to God. It is not a matter of what we wear, the symbols we put on, but the meaning and intention behind it. So we must not be too quick to judge those who wear religious symbols. Even the secular world needs symbols to celebrate their identity and achievements.
In the final analysis, the ultimate criterion of discernment whether we are hypocritical in our conduct is whether we are conscious that we are just the representatives of God, of our community and of our nation. Places of honours and titles are themselves not bad because they remind us of the position the person holds before the community. They are honoured and given due respect simply because they represent the organization or community they belong. That is why, countries will give honour to the Head of State and representatives of the government. But we must never forget that the honour we receive is not for us per se but for the office and role we play. At the end of the day as the Lord reminds us, there is “only one Master, and you are all brothers”; there is only “one Father, and he is in heaven” and “one Teacher, the Christ.” True greatness and leadership is when we are ready to use our office, position, honour and privileges not for ourselves but for the service of the common good. The Lord reminds us, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” Truly, we must go beyond a narrow interpretation of the gospel to the spirit and intention of what Jesus is teaching us.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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