Malachi 1:14B-2:2B, 8-10
Psalm 131:1,2,3
1 Thessalonians 2:7B-9, 13
Matthew 23: 1-12
Summary
In this Gospel, Jesus tells us to be humble and to be servants of others
in everything that we do. We are not to follow the example of those that
tell us what to do, but rather we are to follow Christ’s example of ac-
tions, not words.
Reflection
We live in a time of many loud and angry voices. The discourse in all
aspects of our lives is rarely gentle and frequently punctuated by vio-
lence or threats of violence. To many people in the world the only way
to be heard is to shout louder, or do something to call attention to one’s self.
Even times of great joy or celebration are frequently marked by violence; for ex-
ample, it has become almost expected that fans of a sports team will riot follow-
ing a major victory.
Sadly, it seems that
the only voices that
we currently hear are
those that rise above
the din of the world.
Or if not shouting,
many people feel they
can only get recogni-
tion by doing some-
thing more outra-
geous than someone
else. Even as parents
we often show our
kids the way through
our words, not