THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF YEAR "A"

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF YEAR I

Mal 1, 14b-2; 2, 8-10

Mt. 23, 1 - 12: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled”

Let me tell you the story of the monk. This monk was appointed to a certain monastery. On arrival he knocked on the door and was admitted in. From his manner and appearance, the monks judged him beneath them. So they sent him to work in the kitchen at the most menial tasks. Uncomplaining, he spent long hours scouring pots, moping floors, and shelling beans. Finally, the bishop of the diocese arrived at the monastery. When he could not find the new monk, he went on a search. Of course,  he found him in the kitchen, preparing that night’s supper. During the evening prayer in the chapel the bishop pulled out the letter of appointment and officially presented the new monk as their new abbot.  The monks received a lesson in humility that would last them a lifetime and beyond. Their Abbott was the man whom the Lord wants in his service.  The counterfeits He often times gets, ordained and otherwise, He does not need.

The first reading is from the prophecy by an anonymous writer called Malachi (meaning “messenger”) in the 4^th. century B.C. After their Exile, the people’s initial fervour had cooled and they had given themselves over to worldly ways. The priests, too, were often corrupt and insincere. Our reading contains a stern warning to the priests. God will turn his blessings into curses because they have failed to honour him by faithful service.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as consistently hard on the scribes and Pharisees.

  And why ?  One reason was, obviously, their hypocrisy. Like any of us, Jesus found arrogance and insincerity revolting. Besides, these people propagated a brand of religion which can be dangerously attractive. For example, the reduction of religion to meticulous observance, of external practices and regulations. This means, in effect, putting our faith in human accomplishments. It is much easier to observe regulations than to work at changing our lives. When so many self-styled gurus, teachers and politicians are trying to mesmerise us, the only test of leadership is compassion as that of the Father, and self-sacrificing service as that of Jesus himself.

In one of his plays, Peter Ustinov addresses a proud character as “Your Altitude.” One day two rabbis came home after walking the streets, quite angry and bewildered, because more than one person had greeted them with “peace be with you” but without adding the expression “my masters.”

What cheek ! What arrogance! Expecting to be called “master.” Humility would mean freedom from thinking about ourselves one way or the other. Disinterest in self would lead us to focus our thinking and action on the needs of other people, since humility is charity’s first cousin.

In the Alice in Wonderland story, Alice meets and eats a huge mushroom. When she ate on one side of the mushroom she found herself getting smaller. And when she ate on the other side, she got taller and taller. Alice decided that small is beautiful, perhaps remembering Shakespeare who said: “The blessedness of being little.”  As Alice was reduced in size, all things and people about her looked more wonderful and majestic. Less is more, she decided.

We ourselves are forever circling that mushroom. If we eat the enlargening portion, everything else about us will shrink in importance and wonder. We will become puffed up with our own importance. 

Talking about broad phylacteries and long swinging tassels. Phylacteries were boards that the priests wore on their chests, bearing lines from scripture, the way you see demonstrators holding large cardboards with slogans on them. The long tassels were like tails; which should have reminded the priests of their ancestors who swung from branch to branch. St. Francis DeSales, for all his sweetness, teases us about our self-importance even at surface level. “Some people are proud,” he declares, “because they ride a fine horse, or have a feather in their hat, or a very well dressed. This is an obvious folly, for if there is any glory here it belongs to the horse or the bird or the tailor!”

Like it or not, we will develop in ourselves the very faults which we detect so strenuously in others. But someday we will be pushed off our pedestal and land on our receiving end of divine wisdom. (Excuse the undignified description).  Only those who permit themselves to grow smaller and then smaller again will be able to witness “the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower”, as the poet says. Not only will they bring themselves joy but also, more than likely, they will share that joy with others. And, of course, they will give great pleasure to Christ, which is what Christianity, in large part, is all about.

So let us become the little children that Jesus invites us all to become, and like so many excited kids rush into the Kingdom swinging, laughing and singing.

PRAYER (Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs)

Lord, you lead us by ways we do not know, through joy and sorrow, through victory and defeat, beyond our understanding. Give us faith to see your guiding hand in all things, that being neither lifted up seeming success, nor cast down by seeming failure, we may press forward wherever you lead, to the glory of your name.  Amen.

31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

MATTHEW 23:1-12

Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus turns his sharp eye and withering critique on the many ways that religious leaders fall into corruption. What precisely is bothering Jesus? Some religious leaders get their kicks from burdening people, laying the law on them heavily, making demands that are terrible, exulting in their own moral superiority. At the core of Jesus' program is a willingness to bear other people's burdens, to help them carry their loads. And this applies to the moral life as well. If we lay the burden of God's law on people, we must be willing, at the same time, to help them bear it. Another classic problem with religious people and especially religious leaders: they use the law and morality as a means of inflating the ego. The trouble is that this drug wears off rather quickly, and then we want more of it. We need a greater title, more respect, more recognition. What is Jesus' recommendation for those caught in this dilemma? To be great is to be a servant: lowly, simple, often forgotten. Eschew marks of respect; don't seek them. Be satisfied with doing your work, whatever it is, on behalf of God's kingdom. In many ways, this Sunday’s Gospel is the story of another call for reform as Jesus casts a critical eye on many of the Scribes and Pharisees. Yes, he acknowledges, they were part of a great tradition of religious leaders and teachers going back to Moses (whom the Jews believed had been given a special mandate to teach by God on Mount Sinai), but their message lacked integrity because they didn’t practice what they were preaching. So, Jesus instructs, listen to their message—it is from God—but do not imitate their way of life. This wasn’t a new issue at the time of Jesus, either. In fact, our liturgy this Sunday includes a reading from the Prophet Malachi who condemns the religious leaders of his day for their own failures: “You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts” (2:8). When we think of this text in relation to our Gospel this Sunday, it’s important to remember that nearly 500 years separated the Prophet Malachi and the Evangelist Matthew. Indeed, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). In response to those who might be tempted to follow the teachings and example of the religious elite too closely, Jesus reminds his disciples that they shouldn’t spend their energy looking for a teacher or master or guru on whom they could build their lives. They were to have one Teacher: the Christ. And his lesson is very clear: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). Although few of us could be said to hold positions of authority within the Church, the readings proclaimed this Sunday remind us of two points. First, the People of God—the Church—is always in need of reform and renewal. At the same time, however, we can trust that the Spirit will call forth prophetic men and women to help guide us along our way. Second, each of us is capable of the same sins that Jesus condemned when he pointed out the hypocrisy and the vainglory of the Pharisees and Scribes. The invitation presented to us this Sunday is to reflect on how we practice what we believe and teach in our daily lives and to be sure that our words and actions truly reflect the faith we profess.   Who are the prophetic voices who help you reflect on how well you are living your faith? How do these spiritual guides help you live out your commitment to follow Jesus in better ways? How do you work for healing and wholeness in the Church? Take time this week to pray for pastors, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, catechists, and lay ministers, asking God to help them be faithful to their ministry and prayer.    Words of Wisdom: “None of us live lives that are perfectly in accord with what we teach or profess; that will doubtless be the case until the end of time, and we cannot require that a priest or catechist be perfect … The lesson of today’s liturgy is that we must all honestly review our inner attitudes and not be too ready to believe the reproaches of Jesus are irrelevant to us moderns.”—Adrian Nocent, OSB, in The Liturgical Year