It is 5th November 2017. We are celebrating the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings are from Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10; the second reading is from 1Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13; and the Gospel from Matthew 23:1-12. In the first reading, the prophet reprimands the priests who neglect their responsibility towards God’s people. Priests are there to lead people to God not to themselves. Priests are there to have unity not to divide. Priests are there to amend their own ways before asking the people of God to walk in it. God would not tolerate a priest who misleads God’s people for his own benefits and agenda. God’s love and mercy must not be taken a selfish ride on God and be taken for granted. Spiritual leaders must not cause division among the people on any account. St. Paul invites the people of Thessalonica to accept God’s word seriously as it is from the Spirit of God not a human making. He encouraged them not to force the Word of God on anyone and wanted them to live an exemplary life. The Gospel invites us to look into ourselves not pointing fingers on our leaders. We are too fast to speak the evil in our leaders while refusing to deal with the evil that is growing within each one of us. The Gospel invites all of us to live a life of integrity and honesty. The respect is earned by the way we live. Some of us demand respect using our power we hold in the church and in the society. When we begin to live a life full of mutual respect, serving without borders and treating everyone equally and without any hypocrisy we will have no time to talk about the evil of the other. When we encounter hypocrisy in our leaders, we must not rush to say something until we have dealt with our own inside first. May the Lord grant us the courage to be truthful and not to be negligent to do God’s work no matter what rank we hold in the society or in the church. May God bless you the entire week with the blessings we need.

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