Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint Matthew’s gospel, 6, 4-5 (cf. PL 9, 952-953)

“They do not practice what they preach”

The Lord warns us that flattering words and sweet promises should be judged by the fruits they produce. We have to value someone, therefore, not by how they present themselves in speech but as they really are in their deeds. Often enough, beneath an outward show of a lamb a ravening wolf is concealed (Mt 7:15). And just as thorns do not produce grapes nor thistles produce figs…, even so, Jesus says, genuinely good works do not consist in fine words such as these. Each one should be judged according to their fruits (vv. 16-18).

No indeed, a service that was limited to fine words would not suffice to obtain the Kingdom of heaven. It is not those who say “Lord, Lord” who will inherit it (v. 21)… What sense would a holiness be that was limited to the invocation of a name? For the Kingdom of heaven is to be found in obedience to God’s will…

We ought, then, to put something of our own into it if we want to attain eternal blessedness. We have to give something out of our own resources: desire good, avoid evil and obey the divine precepts with all our hearts. An attitude such as this will make us worthy of being acknowledged as one of his own by God. Therefore, let us conform our actions to his will instead of taking pride in his power. For he will resist and reject those who have themselves turned away from him by the injustice of their deeds.

Zenit.org

The Chair of Christ is the Cross where the Law is Love

XXXI Sunday of Ordinary Time – November 5, 2017

November 3, 2017Archbishop Francesco FolloSunday Readings

ZENIT - by HSM - San Gioacchino in Prati church - 2015

Roman Rite

XXXI Sunday of Ordinary Time – November 5, 2017

Mal 1.14- 2.2.8-10; Ps131; 1Ths 2.7-9.13; Mt 23: 1-12

Ambrosian Rite

2Sam 7.1-6.8-9.12-14a.16-17; Ps 45; Col 1,9b-14; Jh 18.33c-37

Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe – Solemnity of the Lord

1) Love and the Law.

Last Sunday we meditated over the first and great commandment, love for God, and the second which is similar to the first, love for the neighbor: “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Mt 22, 40).

In this Sunday‘s Gospel, we are called to examine in depth the fact that Love is not opposed to the Law. St. Matthew shows that, contrary to what the Scribes and Pharisees think, Jesus does not despise the Law and does not intend to replace it with Love. Love is the fulfillment of the Law and the bond of perfection (see Col 3, 14; Rm 13, 10). Without Love the Law dies, and the Prophet fades. Love does not replace the Legacy, but observes and fulfills it. Love is not an empty and superficial feeling, it does not neglect the Law but lives it in full. Love does not content itself by not saying the false, but seeks the truth. Love is not satisfied with not killing, but gives life. Love not only does not steal, but meets the need of the brothers.

In today’s Gospel, it emerges that, for Christ, the Law is not to be reduced to a series of precepts to be put into practice. The Law is the word of God that indicates his will for life. Jesus is the first to accomplish this will, which is a gift that God gives to live as new men in love. Those who observe the commandments love and fulfill the law that is the path of life.

As the Prophets have constantly reminded, Jesus teaches that the Law is an expression of the cure with which God, as a shepherd, guides his people on the path to freedom.

If we listen to the word of the Father as Christ did, like him we live incarnating it and practicing filial love which prevents that law compliance is reduced to an empty, rigid and inhumane legalism and, on the contrary, becomes a path of authenticity and holiness, that is, of full and not pharisaic maturity.

2) Children, brothers and servants.

The attitude opposed to the attitude of the Pharisee is the fraternity among us because we are really the children of God (cf. 1 Jn 3: 1) who is a Father who loves to the point of giving his Son for our salvation. God is a Father who never leaves his children. He is a loving Father who sustains, helps, welcomes, forgives, and saves with a fidelity that immensely surpasses the fidelity of men to open itself to the dimensions of eternity “because his love is forever” (Ps 137). The love of God the Father never fails, and does not get tired of us; it is love that gives to the extreme, and to the sacrifice of the Son. We, children in the Son, are called to live Christian morality as an ethic of fraternity that becomes viable, thanks to the Eucharistic communion.

This sacramental communion is not merely a private prayer where the single Christian encounters his God, although he ought to do that. Sacramental Communion is more: it is the seal of mutual affiliation among Christians through their common bond with Christ. That is why it is an essential part of the Holy Mass in which we celebrate this union as brothers through our brother Jesus Christ. Eucharistic communion

– is an integral part of the event that is the Holy Mass:

– is the seal of the fraternity between God and men and therefore, starting with God, of men among themselves;

– is the inclusion of all men in the event of the Cross so that the whole world is delivered to God and thereby is led to its true meaning;

– is the call of every single Christian to be the living tabernacle of God in the world.

As tabernacles, we bring Love to the world realizing that the greatest of us is not the one who has the most, but the one who loves more thanks to the love he has in himself. In order to flourish, the world needs love and not wealth. Then, the greatest person of our world will be perhaps an unknown mother who works and loves in the secret of her home, or in the forests of Africa or Amazonia, or in the hiding of a small office or factory. Jesus overthrows our idea of greatness saying “You are as great as great your heart is.” We are great when we know how to love and when we know how to do it as Jesus did, translating love into the divine madness of service: “I came to serve not to be served.” The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. “(Mt 23: 11-12).

This is the novelty brought by Christ: God is between us and He does not keep the world at His feet. He is at the feet of all. God is the great servant, not the master. I will serve Him because He has become my servant.

Service is what allows the establishment of the civilization of love, where the greatest is the one who loves serving. “Washing the feet to the Apostles,” said Pope Francis on March 12, 2016, “Jesus wanted to reveal God’s way of acting toward us and give an example of his” new commandment “to love one another as He has loved us, that is, by giving his life for us. ” Service is “the way to live faith” in Jesus “and to bear witness to his love”. Love is concrete service, “a humble service made in silence and concealment. Love requires “works”, not just “words”. Love asks us “to make available the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us, so that the community can grow”. Love “expresses itself in the sharing of material goods so that no one is in need.” It is a task that applies to believers and not only to them: sharing and dedication to those in need is a lifestyle that God asks from all Christians as a way of authentic humanity and holiness.

Regarding mutual service, Christ lovingly commands “The greatest among you is your servant; those who will rise will be lowered, and those who lower will be lifted up”. Jesus has given the example: “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.“(John 13: 12-14). This means that whoever has more must not hold it, but donate it; to be great is not a privilege, but a mission. The Lord will ask us to be accountable for the abundance that we have exploited and not offered for the benefit of others. God’s gifts and charisms are for the common utility (cf. 1 Cor 12). We are like a body, with several members – noble or not – but all necessary for the good of the whole organism. Service, charity, and being available to others is not giving more, but a responsibility and a duty. They are a right of the poor and the weak, a right claimed before God.

This “command” to service is especially addressed to the consecrated Virgins. In fact, the Ordo virginum includes virgin women who, “embracing the holy purpose of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite. They are joined in mystical marriage to Christ the Son of God and dedicate themselves to the service of the Church “(CIC Article 604 § 1). The specificity of consecrated virginity is the “marriage” with Christ which “acquires the value of a ministry in the service of the people of God and places the consecrated persons in the heart of the Church and the world” (Rite of the Consecration of the Virgins, Premise).

The Consecrated Virgins are in this ecclesial journey precisely for a particular reference to the sphere of the affections. In fact, with their lives and devoting to Him and His Kingdom all their own forces of love, they testify that every vocation is the welcoming of God’s charity and the answer to Him in the service to others. They reminds us of the theological source of love above all through virginity. Their virginity recalls the virginity of the heart and affections that arises from and feeds on the intimate and fruitful communion with the Lord.

Arlington Catholic Herald

Charity is the difference

Fr. Jack Peterson, YA

11/02/17

Gospel Commentary Mt 23:1-12

I remember with great clarity after many years a high school math teacher who was quite severe with her teaching methods. She taught a difficult class and expected a great deal out of us, but did not offer any real or significant assistance. She was quick to call you out when she could see on your face that you did not know the answer to a particular question. She made you painfully stay at the chalkboard in front of the class fumbling through the proper application of a difficult formula and becoming rather embarrassed. She never gave you partial credit for a good beginning on the solution to a complicated math problem. If the final answer was wrong, the whole problem was wrong. It was a discouraging class and did not engender a great love for math.

On the other hand, I remember a different experience with a homiletics professor in the seminary. Again, the class was difficult and the teacher expected a great deal out of us. More significantly, the skill set we were trying to develop was immensely important for our life as a priest. The professor was dedicated to offering constructive criticism. He was quick to point out natural skills such as annunciating properly or finding appropriate stories to explain a confusing Gospel passage. He was willing to challenge us to develop new skills -- keeping the message simple and clear, and learning the importance of tireless preparation. This professor was willing to read over first drafts of homilies in advance, and then to make detailed and constructive comments afterward. This professor demanded excellence and truly honed our skills in preparation for the very important task of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel for today, Jesus criticizes some of the scribes and Pharisees who exercised their authority and their teaching ministry such as my high school teacher. “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

In reality, most of us exercise authority over some people in our lives, whether it is in school as an upperclassman or student leader, in the home as a parent or older sibling, in the workplace as an experienced employee or a supervisor, or as a friend with certain friends who are sick or going through a dark moment.

As Christians, Jesus invites us to ponder how we exercise our leadership. Our Lord challenges us to exercise authority with humility and charity.

In fact, Jesus goes so far as to call us to be servants in our relations with one another. “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the end, charity, as always, is the difference. When we have become keenly aware of God’s amazing, unearned love for us, and when our hearts are on fire with a corresponding love for God, then charity spills over into every aspect of our lives. Charity governs all the moments and dimensions of our lives where we exercise authority over others in God’s name.

St. Paul, while discussing his efforts to bring the Good News to the Thessalonian community, speaks rather frankly of his deep care and affection for the flock. “With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.”

When those around us know that we genuinely care for them, they are most willing to accept a challenge from us to consider making a change in their lives or to consider getting to know a person named Jesus who has made all the difference in the world to us. Conversely, when people are, in fact, dear to us, we are much more likely to “lift a finger” to assist them in their efforts to solve a problem, accomplish a needed task, or make a change in their lives.

“The greatest among you must be your servant.”

Fr. Peterson is director of mission and development for the Youth Apostles.

http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=147

Year A - 31th Sunday in ordinary time

They do not practice what they preach
Matthew 23:1-12
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;
3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.
6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.
9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father — the one in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
(NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I am the wisdom of God who took flesh from the Virgin Mary to become a man like any of you. My wisdom has been given to you through my words in the gospels.

I am your master and teacher, there is no other. My teachings have been conveyed to you first of all through my apostles and disciples, they have been passed from generation to generation by tradition and have been recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

Every one who is baptized has the responsibility to give witness to my word; this is why parents are the first ones to communicate their faith to their children.

The maximum authority on my teachings is the Catholic Church, which has been entrusted with the treasure of the faith. Any teaching outside my Church is incomplete, because it is acting in disobedience.

The priest has great responsibility before me. If he conveys the wrong teaching he will cause great damage to many souls. If he preaches my doctrine faithfully he will gain many souls to my kingdom, he will receive my blessings constantly.

It is very important that you appeal to the Holy Spirit to help you and guide you in the knowledge of God, in order to assimilate the teachings that you receive.

I promised to my apostles that I would not leave them orphans; so on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon them and enlightened them with wisdom to know me more intimately.

You receive my Holy Spirit when you are baptized. It is a fire of my Presence and is always there to assist you in your faith. But it is only a little flame that must be fanned with your devotions and your desire for God. You must put fuel into this fire by your desire to know me, love me and serve me. When your desires for me burn within you, I will manifest myself to you and reveal my wisdom in your soul.

To draw living waters from the fountain of my wisdom you must come very humbly with a contrite heart. Just as Moses was asked to remove his sandals before he approached the burning bush, I ask you to purify yourself.

Remove all your pride before you come to me.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

Teachings On Authority – A Homily for the 31st Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope • November 4, 2017 •

The Gospel this Sunday is familiar to many Catholics (in a negative way) because many (snip --
Never mind that the text also says that we should call no one on earth “teacher.” Never mind that the New Testament contains almost 200 uses of the word “father” to refer to earthly males. Apparently Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John along with Paul, Peter, and Stephen never got the memo banishing all use of the word in reference to anyone on earth.

However, to turn this into a Gospel about appropriate terminology is to miss its main point, which is to teach us about authority. This teaching is both beautiful and essential, especially in modern times when the notion of authority is so often misunderstood and maligned.

Before looking at Jesus’ teaching on authority it is good to be clear one point: While each of us is under authority, we also have authority. Whether it is as a parent, a supervisor at work, a community leader, a leader in the Church, or just because you’re older—you have authority.

Because we live in a culture that largely despises authority, we tend to think it is always the “other guy” who has authority and needs to be “put in his place.” Maybe it’s that pompous guy in the corner office, those nasty politicians, or the boorish and backward pastor. Look in the mirror! This Gospel isn’t just for “them,” it’s for you, too. As we explore this teaching on authority, remember that it applies to you and me just as much as to “them.”

Let’s look at the teaching in four stages.

The Tenure of Lawful Authority – Jesus says, The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you but do not follow their example.

Jesus teaches the disciples that for now they are to remain under the lawful authority of the Scribes and Pharisees. In the future, Jesus will fully send forth His Church and establish the authority of the Apostles themselves, but for now they are to follow lawful authority, just as Jesus will expect the Church to follow the lawful authority of the Apostles and their successors later on.

Nowhere in Scripture are Christians encouraged ridicule, resist, or overthrow lawful authority. The human tendency (especially evident in modern times) to be insubordinate to and disrespectful of lawful authority is neither encouraged nor supported in biblical teaching. Consider some of the following examples:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Rom 13:1).
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men. (1 Peter 2:13).
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good (Titus 3:1).
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:1).
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17).
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (Matt 22:21).

The Lord Jesus, indeed Scripture in general, upholds the proper need and place for authority. The modern tendency to celebrate rebellion and disrespect toward authority is clearly not supported by Scripture.

This tendency is exhibited throughout Western culture. Children are disrespectful to their parents, younger people to their elders, subordinates in the workplace to their supervisors, Catholics toward the Church hierarchy, and so forth.

One may argue that some who are in charge are poor leaders. Perhaps, but consider the authorities of ancient times: the Scribes, the Pharisees, and Herod, just to name a few. Yet still this teaching went forth. Others may say that authorities need to be corrected. Yes, at times they do; in those cases, a Christian should use means that are both respectful and nonviolent.

Vigorous political discourse is surely a feature and a genius of our modern democratic republic. However, too much of the discourse today strays into the hateful, toward personal attack and ridicule. Such extremes are unfit for Christians, who are called to speak the truth with both clarity and charity.

So in setting forth a teaching on authority, the Lord Jesus first establishes that there is authority and that (other things being equal) lawful authority is to be respected and obeyed. Although there are times when the example of those in authority should not be imitated (more on that in the next section), their lawful and moral directives are to be followed.

In cases in which you are under authority, pray, strive to cooperate, and when necessary correct with reverence.

In cases in which you have authority, do not be ashamed of it. Use it well, for the common good and to provide necessary direction and unity for those under your authority.

The Tyranny of Arrogant Authority – Jesus does acknowledge the burdensome and insensitive qualities of the leadership of that time. He says, Do not follow their example. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders. But they will not lift a finger to move them.

This is a sober assessment by Jesus of the problems of leadership in His day. They will have to answer to God for their tenure. Jesus holds them up as a kind of warning to the future leaders of His Church, who will one day have to render an account for their leadership. Do not follow their example, Jesus warns.

True authority exists to serve, not to crush or merely to exhibit its power. It exists to unite people around a common purpose and to direct people and resources to a good and focused end. It exists to help others to accomplish their tasks in a unified and directed way. Hence, we may ask the following questions of the exercise of authority:

Does the exercise of authority make wings to lift a person up or is it a deadweight to drag him down?
Does it help a person or haunt him?
Does it carry him does he have to carry it?
Does it bring joy to life or depression?
Does it unite people around common goals or merely unite them in unproductive anger against authority?

How would those under your authority answer these questions?

The Trappings of Self-Centered Authority – Jesus describes how the Scribes and Pharisees loved titles, honors, and ostentation: All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and the salutation, “Rabbi.”

The Lord points out the following problems with self-centered authority:

Their Actions Are Acted – Jesus often called them hypocrites, not as a slur but as a description. The word “hypocrite” comes from a Greek root meaning “actor.” An actor performs and plays his role only when there is an audience. He does so for money and applause. When the crowd is gone he stops acting because there would be no point; neither money nor applause would result. Some in authority forget the reason they have authority; they forget the goal to which it is directed. They care only about the praise that may increase their authority or build up their ego.
They Parade their Piety – They want to be noticed as having authority. Rather than pointing to the end to which their authority is directed (in this case, God), they see the acknowledgement of their own authority as the proper end and desired goal.
They Hunger for Honor – They seek the front seats. They want to be seen as having authority. They take the honor due those in authority personally, as directed to them, rather than directed to the office they hold.
They Take after Titles – They crave the title itself for the honor they feel it brings them. A title is only good if the one bearing it does not disgrace it. Having a title is not so much an honor as a responsibility.

In the end, the poor example of the Scribes and Pharisees comes down to the fact that they used the “trappings” of authority for personal ends and glory, rather than for the ends to which they were intended: the glory of God, the serving of His people, and the common good and unity of all.

Leadership is not about trappings; it is about service and the glory of God.

The Truth of Christian Authority – The text says, Do not be called teacher (Rabbi) You have but one teacher. Do not be called Father, you have but one Father in heaven..Do not be called master, have but one master the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Who ever humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus emphasizes three fundamental things here, and I add a fourth.

All authority is under the headship of God. In critiquing the use of terms like “teacher,” “master,” and “Rabbi,” Jesus is insisting that all teachers and “experts” must first be under the teaching and authority of God. All their teaching and “mastery” of any subject must be in conformity to, and submitted to the revealed truth of God. For someone to be worthy of the title “teacher,” “master,” or “Rabbi,” means that he is first submitted to what God teaches and reveals.
All Fatherhood, all headship, is submitted to the Father and Lord of us all and reflects His Fatherhood. No one deserves the title “father” who does not first have God for his Father. In this sense, Jesus is not so much banning a word as He is insisting on a conformity to the one and perfect Father of us all. In this sense, St. Paul can say, You do not have many fathers, For I became your father in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Cor 4:15). For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted you and charged each of you lead a life worthy of God (1 Thess 2:10). St. Paul takes up this title “Father” with them only in relation to how he guides them to what the Heavenly Father would want.
Authority exists for service. Jesus says this of those in authority: The greatest among you must be your servant. In other words, those who have authority are to serve those under them, not “lord it over them.” Jesus says elsewhere,

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mk 10:42ff)

Hence, those who have authority have it not for their glory but as a sign of their servitude. The priest who has authority has it to serve his people in teaching, sanctifying, and governing (uniting) them. Parents have authority in order to serve their children by raising them to become the men and women God intends them to be. The police officer has authority to protect and give order to the populace. The teacher has authority in order that she may teach the students. Authority is not for its own sake; it is for the sake of others.

Authority is exercised among equals. In this world authority is equated with power; it is often given to those who are richer, more connected, and so forth. Some in authority may assume that they have authority because they are somehow better than others. Among Christians, however, authority is always exercised among equals. The greatest title one can have is “Child of God.” Titles such as CEO, President, Grand Knight, and Monsignor are mere footnotes. The Pope has authority in the Church, but he is no more baptized than you or I. Please understand, he does have authority and we have an obligation to submit to it, but his greatest title is not that of “Pope” or “Supreme Pontiff”; His greatest title is “Child of God.” Authority does not make me greater than you, it makes me your servant. Before God, though, we are all equally His children. This final point is my own addition; feel free to critique it.

So there it is, a Gospel not about terminology (as in “father”), but about authority; how to understand it and live it as a Christian. Remember, it is not just about that other guy; it’s about you, too, because you have authority as well. One day we will answer to God about how we have used our authority, whether to build or destroy, enable or disable, inspire or unnecessarily infuriate. We will also render an account for how we have acted toward those in authority. Although this world may praise disrespect and disobedience, God is neither impressed nor pleased. Authority—how we use it and respect it—is critical to God.

Note that the word “author” appears in the word “authority.” No authority exists unless it is granted by God (cf Jn 19:11). To the Author, all in authority must one day answer.

One of my favorite hymns is “Crown Him with Many Crowns”. In the video below, we see it performed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. It is fitting to see those in authority (even if only ceremonially so) praising the true King, from whom all kings, queens, and leaders get their authority.

Of Jesus, we can say that He is the only King who died for us. The second verse of the hymn says, “Crown him the Lord of Love; Behold his hands and side. Rich wounds yet visible above, in beauty glorified. No angel in the height can truly bear that sight; so downward bend his wondering eye at mysteries so bright.”

Indeed, For the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as ransom for many (Mk 10:45).