Good morning good people,
May the Lord give you peace and health in the Holy Spirit.
It is 21st August 2021. We celebrate the memorial of St Pius X, Pope. He wrote in his will: “I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor.”
We reflect on Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 and the Gospel of Matthew 23:1-12.
To be good, no need to go public. “So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt.6:4). Some of us wish to be good just because of the public perception or to be noticed by others.
“The greatest among you shall be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Mt.23:11,12). A typical example of this is Ruth. Good things are done in a way God alone notices them. Pompous, posh, and self-promoting attitudes are generally noisy, wordy,
Ruth was rewarded for her moral certitude, genuineness, personal integrity, and purity. And that is why she is rightly in line with an ancestor of Jesus.
The words of Jesus not only directing the Pharisees and Scribes but all of us in particular. Why am I doing good? Do I do what I have promised to God, the community and one another?
A double standard life has so much vested interest. Jesus points out that the way some of us fight tooth and nail to make some things to be followed but conveniently we do not do it, or we just do it to attract the attention of others. Our self-righteous behaviours do not allow us to appreciate the goodness in others. We ended being a constant complainer than a compliment.
His Holiness Pope Francis reminds us: “This attitude is typical of this “religion of talk: I say that I am like this, but I do worldly things. Like those clerics that Jesus spoke about. They liked being seen, they preferred their vanity, not justice; they liked being called ‘master’; they liked to talk, not to do”.
Some of us are so proud of the things we wear, lifestyle we lead boasting about the brand label we subscribe. All these things do not make us great person. It is pure service to humanity that is being appreciated by the Lord. We may wonder how come people come to know the good things I do so secretly and privately. Goodness has a peculiar fragrance that is pervasive beyond the frontiers.
We all have something to learn from the others especially the Teacher Jesus.
Let us ask: do I have a pharisaic attitude in me? May the Lord grant us the blessings to lead a life that pleases God. God bless you.